William H Gates III

He was a troublesome student, a bullied geek, and an awkward adolescent; yet William Henry Gates III, more commonly known as Bill Gates, rose to the top of the computer software industry and is unrivaled in achievements. Born on October 28, 1955, Gates grew up in an educated family in Seattle. When he and future Microsoft cofounder, Paul Allen, met in their Lakeside private school, they both discovered their hobby for programming. Little did Gates know that his hobby would present the key that would open the door to immeasurable success. In 1975, Gates quit college in order to focus all his energy on Microsoft with Allen. During Microsoft's lifetime, there were many dilemmas from as little as software bugs to as extensive as billion dollar lawsuits; however, Gates did not allow anything to hinder Microsoft's development. As Microsoft's success grew, so did Gates' wealth, but rather than idly watch his bank account expand, Gates created the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation in 1999 to channel his wealth to the rest of the world. Ten years later, Gates officially stepped down from Microsoft to focus entirely on his foundation and philanthropy. Since then, he has been traveling around the world aiding the suffering. No one ever thought Gates, an unmotivated student, would become the most successful man on the planet. With the determination to create his own company, the leadership that drove its success, and the generosity to spread his wealth to the rest of the world, Bill Gates truly possesses qualities of an inspirational hero.

Through his determination, Gates created Microsoft, the world's most successful software company. When Gates had his mind set on creating Microsoft, nothing could persuade him otherwise: "He decided to take a leave of absence from Harvard to start a software company with Paul Allen. Bill's parents did not agree with his decision and tried to talk him out of it... in the end, his software business won out" (Lesinski 26). Gates was so determined to pursue his aspiration that he took a gamble and left behind everything - including a promising education at Harvard - to begin a new chapter in his life. Furthermore, his parents, whom he deeply respected, failed to convince him to abandon his ambitious dream. This same determination carried over while he led Microsoft.  Often times things like rolling out a new product or software development would not go as planned, but Gates never faltered: "Once you embrace unpleasant news not as a negative but as evidence of a need for change, you aren't defeated by it. You're learning from it" (Gates 184). By viewing "unpleasant news" not as an insurmountable obstacle but as a learning experience, Gates was never held back by it. Instead of sulking or becoming overwhelmed with stress, Gates never hesitated to do what was necessary.  For example, he felt that others should not be allowed to copy his software and "[b]ecause of [his] efforts, copying computer programs became illegal" (Lesinski 28). He took action and argued for his beliefs again in 1998 when the United States sued Microsoft. Under his views of right and wrong, he fought for himself and his company. Gates' determination and perseverance allowed him to create Microsoft and expand it into a flourishing company.

Gates' leadership also enabled him to elevate Microsoft into the position of success it holds today. He originally cofounded Microsoft with Paul Allen, however: "Allen left Microsoft for health reasons in 1983 but, under Gates' leadership, the company saw a period of unparalleled growth" ("Bill Gates"). Even without Allen's help, Gates single handedly developed their company to even larger proportions. He understood how to lead a company and inspire his workers, and that understanding allowed Microsoft to thrive. Despite the enormous amount of employees, it was never difficult for Gates to motivate them: "when Bill would spend a couple of hours on that business or do a speech on our behalf, you know, you'd get sort of six months of morale juice out of that for the entire, you know, one hundred people working on the project business" (Bill Gates: How a Geek Changed the World). Gates could easily encourage "one hundred people working on the project" to work to the best of their ability with only a few hours of preparation. As the manager and father of Microsoft, he knew how to efficiently motivate his employees so in turn, they could efficiently operate the company. Despite his monumental achievements in revolutionizing an industry through Microsoft, Gates aspires to have even greater impact.

Even though Gates no longer focuses on Microsoft, he continues to do admirable things for the world with his generosity. In a BBC documentary, he states: "This wealth, we've chosen not to pass it to our children or, you know, buy all sorts of mansions or whatever, we're getting it back to society in the way that can have the most positive impact" (Bill Gates: How a Geek Changed the World). Gates could easily have used his great wealth to satisfy his personal desires and retire into a relaxing life of luxury; however, he chose instead to help others. Gates has already personally traveled to developing countries such as India and Ghana to directly relieve their people's suffering. In another interview, when asked how he would manage his foundation's money, he declared that: "The vast majority of the wealth, over 95 per cent, goes to the foundation, which will spend all that money within 20 years after neither of us are around anymore" (Tweedie). Furthermore, Gates entrusted his money to his foundation, so even after death, his wealth will still be able to help others. The foundation is his legacy, carrying on his spirit of generosity even after he leaves this world. Gates' dedication to his foundation has and will continue to improve the lives of others.