Bill Gates

Bill Gates (http://billgatesstrategies.com/2011/04/bill-gates-key-lessons-from-one-of-the-most-influential-leaders-of-modern-society/ (The Gates Effect))

Bill Gates wasn't always rich; he didn't inherit any of his money from any of his elders like others would, he earned it all on his own. Bill Gates really enjoyed working with computers in his teenage years. He even co-founded Traf-O-Data in his high school years with Paul Allen but eventually failed. The two business partners later co-founded Microsoft in 1975. I believe Bill Gates should be considered a hero because he is charitable, successful, and he never gave up.

Bill Gates & Paul Allen (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/dayintech_0404 ())

Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in his hometown, Seattle, Washington. Gates is known as the richest man in America. But he wouldn't have earned the title if it wasn't for his partner Paul Allen. Gates met Allen when they attended Lakeside High School in Seattle, Washington, realizing they both had similar interest and later would be business partners. Bill Gates decided to study at Harvard University for law after being banned from all computers at Lakeside for his junior year, but Gates decided to drop out of Harvard during his junior year to continue his job as a software engineer and later becoming a entrepreneur. Gates and Allen then co-founded Microsoft a little after Gates ended his academic life.

Bill & Melinda Gates (http://sharequotes.us/melinda-gates-biography.html ())

In the year of 1989, Bill had a "love at first sight" feeling when he saw Melinda French, the manager of Microsoft. About 5 years later Bill and Melinda were married on the island of Lanai in Hawaii on January 1, 1994. In 2000, Bill gave the position of chief executive to Steve Ballmer, but would still continue to help Microsoft on big projects. Bill gave away his position because he chose to focus on his job as a philanthropist. That year, Bill and Melinda decided to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a foundation that gives support to The Global Development, The Global Health, and The United States.

Bill Gates is a hero because he can be very charitable and helps others in need. He decided to leave Microsoft to become a philanthropist and to work on his foundation, "On June 27, 2000, Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation" (Microsoft). Bill & Melinda Gates started a charitable organization to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. Bill Gates is a charitable person and cares about others in the world. He has also donated billions of dollars to several causes, "Pledges have included $1 billion over 20 years to fund college scholarships for about 1,000 minority students, $750 million over 5 years to help launch the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines, $50 million to help the World Health Organization's efforts to eradicate polio, and $3 million to help prevent the spread of AIDS among young people in South Africa." (Gale). Bill Gates isn't only working on his foundation but he has also given huge amounts of money to several other causes. His foundation was mainly to help support other people in need, and he has been showing that with the donations he has made. I believe that Bill Gates was very charitable and deserved the award for being one of Time magazines most influential people in the 20^th and 21^st century.

Bill Gates has always been a hard working man since high school and never gave up on what he believed in. He never gave up and knew that his company would become successful in a period of time, "In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen." (Microsoft). Bill Gates never gave up and believed that his company would become a success, that's why he dropped out of Harvard to put more time into Microsoft. He started Microsoft in 1975 and never gave up on it since. "Gates entered Harvard University in 1973 and pursued his studies for the next year and a half. However, his life was to change in January 1975 when Popular Mechanics carried a cover story on a $350 microcomputer, the Altair, made by a firm called MITS in New Mexico. When Allen excitedly showed him the story, Gates knew where he wanted to be: at the forefront of computer software design." (Gale). This shows that even when Gates was studying at Harvard to become a lawyer, he never gave up on his love for computers and technology. I think that Gates is a hard worker and never giving up was one of his best characteristics to being a hero. 

Bill Gates was a very smart man and turned out really successful compared to anyone, especially since he didn't graduate from Harvard. According to Microsoft, he was able to expand the company and advance in technology, "Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advanced and improve software technology, to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. The company is committed to a long-term view, reflected in its industry-leading investment in research and development each year." (Microsoft). Bill Gates was able to succeed with Microsoft. With him as the leader, Microsoft was able to improve throughout the years. He was also successful when it came to his foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been able to donate over $26 billion to Global Development, Global Health, The United States, and some non programmed grants like scholarships or charitable sector support. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a successful foundation to raise money for charity under the directory of Bill and Melinda Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). I believe that Bill Gates was successful throughout the years and deserved that trait to being a hero.

I would consider him as a hero because he was able to succeed in life without a college diploma, he was very charitable with the world, and he never gave up on what he believed he can do. Bill Gates has made so many achievements within the last few decades, like donating over $26 billion dollars to different causes, and founding one of the most famous computer software companies today. Bill Gates is a person I can look up to as an inspiration and that's why he's my hero.

Works Consulted

"Bill Gates: Chairman." Bill Gates: Chairman. Microsoft, 3 Aug. 2011. Web. 11 May 2012. .

"Bill Gates." 2012. Biography.com 10 May 2012, 02:29http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520

Gates, Bill. "Foundation Fact Sheet." Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 30

Sept. 2011. Web. 25 May 2012. .

William Henry Gates, III." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale   Biography In Context. Web. 10 May 2012.