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Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world's largest
software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of
the richest men in the world.
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Bill
Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle,
Washington. Gates began to show an interest in computer programming at the age
of 13 at the Lakeside School. He pursued his passion through college. Striking out
on his own with his friend and business partner Paul Allen, Gates found himself
at the right place at the right time. Through technological innovation, keen
business strategy and aggressive business tactics, he built the world's largest
software business, Microsoft. In the process, Gates became one of the richest
men in the world.
Bill Gates grew up in an upper middle-class
family with two sisters: Kristianne, who is older, and Libby, who is younger.
Their father, William H
Bill
Gates as a child was very competitive, curious, and depth thinker. His parents
decided to enroll him in the private preparation school, Lakeside School. Gates
soon excelled at Lakeside, where he made himself oriented to a wide variety of
subject ranging from Math, Science, English Literature and even becoming a
superb Drama student. Bill Gates surrounded by historical events at a young age
was inspired. In 1969, Apollo 11 took men to the moon, this involved huge computers,
and which cost billions of research dollars to function and operate. A computer
during that era, was very genuine to have. However, Lakeside had gotten a deal
with the city of Seattle and received, this became Bill Gates first encounter
toward a computer.
Bill Gates would spend hours,upon hours at the computer room at the
high-school, and he eventually met a man named,Paul Allen whom shared the same
interests as Bill Gates. Bill Gates in 1973 graduated, Lakeside and was
accepted by the prestigious University Of Harvard. Gates during his years at
Harvard University never had a definite career plan, for some time he thought
of pursuing a career in law for the admiration he had with politics, but his
true craze was staying up all day and night with the computer. Bill Gates met
Steve Ballmer whom would soon join Gates in his venture to start his own
company, Microsoft. This all started when Paul Allen, Bill's former school mate
moved to Boston from Seattle for a job. Paul Allen picked up a magazine at Harvard
Square which read, "World's First Minicomputer Kit To Rival Commercial
Models" to Bill Gates and Paul Allen this was the moment they had been
waiting for, the dawn of personal computer had begun. Ed Roberts who ran this
phenomenal product was looking for someone to do further programming to it.
Bill Gates and Allen Paul soon took on this task and this partnership with Ed
Roberts eventually led to the first product made by Microsoft the Altair BASIC.
"Microsoft" was created in 1976 Altair BASIC was an programming
language which ran on the MITS Altair 8800. Gates due to the success of Altair
BASIC decided to drop out of Harvard and never returned to complete his
studies. Microsoft was located in Albuquerque from 1976 to 1979. In 1979 they
relocated their location to Bellevue Washington on January,1,1979.
Microsoft began to expand and specialize in languages such as
Basic,Cobol,Fortan,and Pascal. With this expansion and Microsoft having hit the
one million dollar profit margin mark, it was a matter of time until a big-shot
computer creative company came knocking at their door. That company was IBM.
The partnership IBM and Microsoft developed was a pivotal role which defined
technology, to what it has become today. It established what Gates had
predicted, every home in America would have one computer per household. IBM
wanted an operating system for their new line of personal computers. Bill Gates
bought an operating system in which he renamed, MS-DOS for IBM. He received
profit from IBM for every MS-DOS product made, as IBM didn't own the licensing
fee, and Gates refused to give it to them.
The partnership with Bill Gates and Paul Allen soon ended, due to Paul being
diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Their partnership would be seen as one which
defined the technology field world-wide. This made Gates the sole-man in the
Microsoft empire. In 1985, Microsoft had generated 140 million dollars in sales
in just that year alone.
In 1986, Bill Gates introduced Microsoft Windows it would be come one of the
most used operating systems in history, and one of the most advanced. Apple
around this time, came up with an ingenious software, Gates advised them to
have a copyright, however Apple was more focused on selling computers, this
prompted Gates to take advantage of an open opportunity. At the age of 31,
Gates became a billionaire owning 45% of his stock.
Bill Gates always had insecurities, even if he at such a peak. IBM soon to
separate from MS-DOS with the success of their sales, decided to create their
own operating system which it licensed from Microsoft called Dos2. OS2
eventually failed as Gates decided to invest his name and the entire future of
Microsoft to advancing the Windows operating system, even if it meant losing
IBM as a client. He came out with Windows 3.0 which turned out be a best market
seller. Microsoft was soon becoming a monopoly, and Gates started receiving the
reputation of being ruthless,and unfair. Gates was accused for practicing
unfair marketing practices, and a case with the Department Of Justice Division
Anti Trust Department was opened. Microsoft would receive royalty fee because
of a "per-processor" license Microsoft had which stated, for each
computer a microprocessor is sold; a royalty payment must be made. Regardless,
if it was a Microsoft operating system or not. Operating Equipment
Manufacturers saw this as unfair, this would lead him further to be a monopoly,
which no software company liked. Apple had no way of competing, IBM had no way
of competing, it was Microsoft receiving these royalty fees even for a
non-Microsoft Operating System which most manufactures thought was most unfair.
Microsoft agreed to stop charging the fees and the Department Of Justice
dropped the case.
Bill Gates's mother died shortly after their marriage of breast cancer. Bill
Gates because of the influence his mother had on him, created philanthropic
organizations that fought certain causes, and was pursuing the interests his
mother had. In 1995, Windows 95 was introduced, Bill Gates at this time slowed
down on his work with Microsoft as he became a family man, welcoming his first
daughter he had with his wife, Melinda French. Netscape came out with a browser
which allowed you to access the world of internet. This was a realm, Microsoft
had yet to embark. Netscape sales soared through the roof, while Microsoft was
behind. Microsoft then promptly released the web-browser Explorer. With the
success of Explorer Gates had yet to know he would be receiving a nation-wide
law-suit which would cost Microsoft millions. Gates was charged with practicing
unlawful conduct, and running a illegal monopoly in 1998. An anti-trust suit
along with president Bill Clinton's Justice Department filed a anti-trust suit
which would be seen as the most severe lawsuit's related to the technology
field. Bill Gates to save his company stepped down from Microsoft as the CEO
and allowed Steve Balmer to be CEO. Bill Gates was the Chairman.
Bill Gates changed the way the world operates,functions, Gates made life easier
for humans to live in. To get tasks done within seconds at a time, creating
several multitasking software programs. Bill Gates will forever be remembered
as a business man, philanthropist, and investor. Bill Gates with multiple
products unleashed with his company Microsoft, allowed the technology field to
expand and become more competitive,always setting the stakes much higher, and
presented a field with endless surprises.
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