40 years Bill Gates changed the world with Microsoft
- Tram Ho
On March 13, Bill Gates announced he was leaving the Microsoft Board of Directors to devote more time to philanthropy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
| Bill Gates was born on February 28 , 1955 in Seattle, Washington. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a teacher, so from an early age he enjoyed arguing but was also very intelligent. He read the entire World Book Encyclopedia when he was a teenager. Photo: Gentleman’s Journal. |
 |
| In 1973 , Gates passed the top of Harvard University after graduating from Lakeside High School (Seattle) with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen . However, only two years later (1975), Bill Gates dropped out of school to focus on research and development with Paul Allen. In 1979, Gates and Allen moved Microsoft to their hometown of Seattle, set up their first store outside of Bellevue and then moved to Redmond. Photo: Seattle Times files. |
 |
| In 1987 , at the age of 31, Bill Gates became a billionaire and only 3 years later (1990), Microsoft became the first software company with a turnover of 1 billion USD . That success came just 2 years after Microsoft released the first version of Windows MS-DOS. First time users can use the mouse to access windows instead of cumbersome commands. In 1986, Microsoft caught the attention of the media and investors when it first issued securities (IPO). Photo: NPR. |
 |
| In July 1995 , Gates became the richest person in the world, with an estimated fortune of $ 12.9 billion and continued to hold this position for many years thereafter. Also in the summer of 1995, Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer as part of the popular Windows 95 operating system. Road Ahead, Gates’ book on visions for the digital future, then continued to lead the sales list. ran the New York Times for seven consecutive weeks. Photo: Microsoft. |
 |
| In 2000 , Gates resigned as CEO of Microsoft. Steve Ballmer was nominated as CEO while Bill Gates retired to become the software architect for the company. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was later established and merged with the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation. Photo: Getty Images. |
 |
| In 2006 , Gates started planning to leave as software architect and announced that his role as Microsoft director would expire two years later. Gates continues to hold a seat on the company’s board as a consultant for key projects but will spend more time doing charity with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Photo: Gates Foundation. |
 |
| In 2008 , Gates lost his position as the richest man on the planet, though his fortune has continued to increase year by year. After 13 years of being number one on Forbes’ list, Gates was surpassed by close friend Warren Buffet and Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim Helu. Photo: CNBC . |
 |
| Also in 2008 , Bill Gates officially retired from the position of chief architect as well as announced his retirement to focus more on philanthropy. The founder of Microsoft will still serve as chairman of the group and advise on important development projects. In an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer , Bill Gates said that he still kept the energy of his time at Microsoft even for charity. Photo: Getty Images . |
 |
| In 2014 , Microsoft announced the appointment of Mr. Satya Nadella as the new CEO, succeeding former CEO Steve Ballmer. In addition, co-founder Bill Gates will leave the chair of the corporation and will only play an advisory role. In place of Bill Gates will be John Thompson, a member of the Board of Directors. Photo: LinkedIn. |
 |
| On March 13, the New York Times reported that Bill Gates announced his departure from the Board of Directors of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway, a group run by close friend Warren E. Buffett. According to Microsoft, Gates wants to spend more time on philanthropy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the world, starting with billions of dollars he earns from Microsoft. Photo: The New York Times. |
Source : Techtalk