Bill Gates Facts – # 50 Fun Facts

Bill Gates Facts – Biography

Bill Gates Date of Birth

1. Born (October, 1955)

William Henry Bill Gates III (better known as Bill Gates), co-founder of the largest PC software company Microsoft, is born on Friday, October 28, 1955 in Seattle Washington.

28 October is also the date of birth of famous American actress Julia Roberts, country singer Brad Paisley and actor Ben Harper.

2. Bill’s Family Recognizes His Competitiveness

The Gates family has a very close and warm relationship.

The parents encourage all three children to be competitive and to achieve the best of everything.

Bill’s family sees his competitiveness when they arrange an athletic event at their house on Puget Sound during the summers.

3. A Voracious Reader as a Child

As a child, Gates is a voracious reader; he spends hours reading books, pouring through encyclopedias and other reference books that are supposed to be beyond his intellect.

By the age of 13, his parents start noticing his behavior and become worried about their only son.

4. Bill’s Friendship with friend Paul Allen

Although he is two years senior to Gates and is reserved and shy (Bill Gates being combative and feisty), the two become friends because of their common enthusiasm for computers.

However, they fight very often over what is wrong and right in computer programming and who looks after the lab.

5. Bill Gates Interest in Computer Programming Since Childhood

Bill Gates is only 13 years old when he begins to show interest in computer programming.

He keeps working on his passion of computers throughout college and he is lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.

His friend Paul Allen is his partner in crime in every venture that Gates goes for.

6. Spends Time in Figuring Out the Codes and Programming

While in Lakeside School, a computer company offers to give some computer time to the students of the school and a club arranges for a teletype terminal.

Bill spends most of his time on the terminal trying to figure out the codes and programming that are used to make it operational.

Bill Gates Studies

7. Schooling

Although Bill is performing very well in school, he seems bored and withdrawn when away from his books.

His parents are afraid that he may turn into a loner, so despite being in favor of public education they transfer him to a preparatory school that is called Seattle’s Lakeside school.

Bill Gates produces excellent grades in all subjects including Mathematics, English and even Drama.

8. Tic-Tac-Toe by Bill Gates

During his time at the Lakeside School he writes a basic computer program that allows users to play games against the computer itself.

The program is named as tic-tac-toe by Bill Gates.

It is at Lakeside school that Bill meets his best friend Paul Allen.

9. Develops Software For His School

Bill Gates develops a scheduling software for his own school while he is studying there and also writes a payroll program for the computer company which gives them time in the lab.

10. Decides to Quit Studying at the Age of 15

At the age of 15, Gates decides to quit school and start a business with the help of his best friend Paul Allen.

The two study the traffic patterns in Seattle and then develop software that monitors this pattern.

They name the program Traf-o-Data and sells it for $ 20,000.

11. Graduates from Lakeside in 1973

However, Bill Gates’ parents want him to become a lawyer and therefore they force him to drop the business idea and finish college.

Gates gives in to his family’s wishes after some time and graduates from Lakeside in 1973.

12. Gets an Admission to Harvard after Scoring High on SAT Exam

It comes as a surprise that Bill Gates, someone that today’s generation looks up to, has never graduated from College.

However, that does not mean he is not a bright student.

He gets an admission to Harvard after scoring 1590 out of a possible 1600 on his SAT.

He boasts about this fact for a very long time while introducing himself to new people.

13. Receives an Honorary Degree from Harvard in 2007

He is very fond of studying but his love of computers is far greater than studies.

It is this love that makes him drop out of Harvard during junior year.

Bill Gates is given an honorary degree from Harvard during the commencement event in 2007.

Bill Gates: Beginning of Career

14. Bill goes to Meet Paul

He remains in contact with his friend Paul Allen while at Harvard; Paul has moved to Boston in order to work for a company Honeywell.

In 1974, Bill goes to Boston to meet his friend during the summers.

It is there that Paul shows an article to Bill about Altair 8800 minicomputers.

15. Gates and Allen Offer Their Proposal to a Company in New Mexico

The Altair mini computers are being made by a company in New Mexico.

Both Gates and Allen write to the company lying that they are working on a BASIC computer programming system to see if the company may be interested in their proposal.

16. Ed Roberts Shows Interest in Their Proposal

As it turns out, the company is in fact interested in what they have to say and the president of the company Ed Roberts, asks the boys for a demonstration.

Both the boys immediately go to work in the Harvard computer lab where they spend that next two month in writing codes and developing the software.

17. Joins MITS

They never get enough time to do a test run on the software they have written, yet when Paul demonstrates it on Altair mini computers, it runs perfectly thus securing him a job with the company, MITS.

Bill Gates leaves his degree at Harvard and goes to work with his friend.

18. The BASIC software by Gates and Paul is being Copied

Although they have gained a good sum of money from the BASIC software, yet their overheads for running the company are far exceeding the amount of money they have.

This is because the BASIC software is being copied and recopied for free by the computer hobbyists.

19. Writes an Open Letter in 1976

Only 10 percent of the total population using the BASIC software written by Bill Gates and Paul Allen actually pays for it.

Bill writes an open letter in 1976 stating that such attitude is preventing the programmers from writing good software.

20. Bill Gates Differences with Ed Roberts

Being combative in nature, Bill Gates often fights with Ed Roberts (president of MITS) over business direction and writing of softwares.

Roberts considers Gates obnoxious and spoilt in a number of ways.

Microsoft Inc., co-founded by Bill Gates

21. Starts a Partnership by the Name of Microsoft

In 1974, Bill Gates and Paul Allen start a partnership with the name of Microsoft; the name comes from two words software and microcomputer since it is the first project that gets proper recognition.

The hyphen between the two words is later dropped by the two boys.

22. Moves Headquarters of Microsoft to Bellevue Washington-1978

In 1978, Gates moves the business and company headquarters of Microsoft to Bellevue, Washington, which is closer to his home.

The company have 25 employees at that time who work keenly.

By the time he is 23, Microsoft is grossing 2.5 million dollars.

23. IBM Contacts Microsoft-1980

In 1980, IBM is looking for a software for their new personal computers (PC) and contacts Microsoft for it.

It is said that on their first meeting at Microsoft, one of the IBM officials mistake Gates as one of the office assistants and asks him to serve coffee.

It is mainly because Bill looks very young but he is soon able to convince IBM officials about his skills and talents.

24. Meets CEO of IBM for the First Time

As his business begins to grow, he spends more time on the road to test his applications and to meet with other companies in the computer business.

He often takes his mother with him since she is well connected with the board members of IBM.

It is through his mother’s connections he is able to meet the CEO of IBM for the first time.

25. Official Incorporation of Microsoft

Between 1978 and 1981, the number of employees at Microsoft increase from 28 to 128 and the revenues go up from 4 million to 16 million.

In 1981, Microsoft is officially incorporated with Bill Gates as the president and chairman while Paul Allen as the vice president.

Bill Gates Family

26. Bill Gates’ Parents

Bill Gates belongs to a financially sound family.

His father, William Henry Gates Sr., is an influential and wealthy lawyer.

His mother Mary Maxwell Gates is a member of the University of Washington’s Board of Governors for nearly 18 years, the same university from where she completes her education.

Bill Gate’s family is actively involved in business, social service and politics.

27. Bill Gates Siblings

He is the only brother to two sisters; Kristianne is older than Bill while Libby is the youngest in the family.

William Henry senior has been a shy yet a promising student while Bill Gate’s mother, Mary Maxwell is an outgoing, athletic person who is constantly involved in student affairs and leadership activities.

28. Gates Marries Melinda French

Bill Gates is married to the former Microsoft project manager for Expedia, Microsoft Bob and Microsoft Encarta, Melinda French.

They get married in Hawaii in a ceremony that is attended only by close friends and family, thus not making it a lavish affair.

After their wedding, wife Melinda leaves Microsoft to focus on her new family.

29. Closest to His Mother

He is closest to his mother in the family; Mary adopts a career as a school teacher for some time but then gives it up to devote time for her children.

She also participates in a lot of charity work and social affairs because of which she has a very large social circle.

30. Bill Gates’ Children

Bill Gates has three children, two daughters and one son and none of his kids own an Apple product.

31. Death of Mother

Bill Gates’ mother Mary Gates passes away in 1994 due to Breast Cancer.

Gates is deeply hurt at the death of his mother since he is closest to her amongst all his family members.

32. Bill’s Mother is an Inspiration for Him

Bill accompanies his mother on charity and volunteer work at school and other community services.

Mary Gates is a big inspiration for Bill since she has served on a number of corporate boards including United Way, IBM and first Inter State Bank of Seattle.

Bill Gates & Personal Interests

33. Likes Playing Board Games

Bill Gates also likes playing board games when he is young.

His favorite game is Risk while he also excels in Monopoly, which goes to show that he is insightful and knows how to minimize risks while maximizing his returns from the deal he is making.

34. No Interest In Law Related Studies

While in Harvard, he spends most of his time in the computer lab, not concentrating on his law related studies.

He sleeps very little, crams for a test and passes it with good grades.

However, he is never truly interested in his law.

Bill Gates Charity

35. Bill’s Promise to Donate 95% of his Wealth to Charitable Causes

People earn so that their children can have a better life.

Bill Gates thinks differently.

Bill has promised to donate 95% of his wealth to charitable causes, leaving his children with a mere 5% of his wealth.

Gates believes that his children should be able to make their own life, given the education they are being provided.

36. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In 2008, Bill Gates retires from Microsoft and focuses his complete attention on The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a foundation that is funded by Gates and his wife.

The foundation is the world’s largest private foundation, contributing towards social causes within America and around the globe.

The foundation has three trustees, namely Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gates and their dear friend, Warren Buffet.

Accolades Bill Gates

37. Is Ranked Second Richest Man Worldwide in 2011 and 2012

Bill Gates must have complete faith in “consistency”.

May be that is why Gates has been consistently ranked as the World’s richest man from 19995 -2009, except in 2008, a year in which he ranks third.

He is the richest American citizen and the second richest man worldwide in 2011 and 2012.

38. Becomes a Millionaire at the Age of 31

During his university year, Bill Gates tells his professors that by the age of 30, he is going to stand before them as a millionaire.

Years later, he becomes a millionaire at the age of 31 thanks to his never-ending love for computers and innovation.

39. Makes $15000 Every Single Minute

Have you wondered how much money Bill Gates makes every year, every day, or every second? It must be a lot of money indeed that consistently puts him on the World’s richest man’s list every year.

Well on an average, he makes $250/ second, making around $15000 every single minute.

40. Only 10% of Countries are Richer than Bill Gates

With countries around the globe fighting for economic power, it is quite astonishing to realize that only 10% of the countries are richer than Bill Gates.

Other Facts about Bill Gates

41. Bill Gates Appearance in Commercials, Movies and Documentaries

In order to promote Microsoft, Bill Gates has made appearances in a series of ads in 2008.

Sienfield star Jerry Sienfield is also a part of these commercials.

Apart from this, Bill has been a part of a number of documentaries namely “The Virtual Revolution” and “Waiting for Superman.”

He has also been featured in the 1999 movie,“Pirates of Silicon Valley”, which depicts the story of Apple and Microsoft during the 1970s to 1997.

42. Melinda is More Qualified than Bill Gates

Bill Gates’ wife Melinda is more qualified than he is.

Melinda has graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics and has an MBA degree from Duke University.

On the other hand, Gates has never graduated from the college.

43. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are Termed as “Frenemies”

The relationship between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates has received immense attention over the years.

They have been termed as “Frenemies” due to their competitive businesses.

They have worked together as well and always hold on to their personal distinctive style of operating things.

44. Bill Gates Letter To Steve Jobs

However, the bond between the two frenemies becomes stronger during the last days of Steve Jobs’ life.

Jobs apparently keeps a letter, that is sent to him by Bill Gates, by his bedside during his final days.

The letter appreciates the efforts of Steve Jobs in making Apple so successful and has a lot to say about Steve’s kids.

45. Ban on Using computers at the CCC

Bill Gates, along his friends Paul Allen, Ric Weiland and Kent Evans are banned from using computers at the Computer Center Corporation (CCC), after they are found hacking into systems and crashing them, just for the sake of pleasure.

However, the ban is lifted after some time and Bill Gates and his friends are offered unlimited use of computers on the condition that they help CCC find weaknesses in their system.

46. Bruno Mars’ Song “Billionaire”

Bill Gates children, Phoebe, Jennifer and Rory, enjoy teasing their father with Travis McCoy and Bruno Mars’ song “Billionaire”.

However, there is no room for any bad words.

They replace the F word with ‘freaking’ while singing him the song.

47. Bill Gates’ House is $147.5 million

Bill Gates’ home, also known as Xanadu, is one home that any person in the world will love to own.

It is located in Medina, Washington.

What is so special about his home? Well, the house is built over duration of 7 years,costing $63 million.

As of 2009, the land and house value is approximately calculated to be $147.5 million and $1.63 million is paid annually as property tax.

48. The Lavish House

The house is spread over 66,000 square feet, it is embedded with the latest technology, is earth-sheltered, has an aquarium wall, swimming pool, underwater music system, gym, a large dining room,  heated floors and many other luxuries.

49. Buys a Private Jet

It is only after 1997, when Bill Gates buys a private jet for himself, that he gives up on travelling coach.

50. Well Known Around The World Except In a Few Third World Countries

Bill Gates is an individual who needs no introduction.

He is well known around the world.

However, people living in the Third World countries often do not know who Bill Gate is.

This is evident when he visits Uttar Pradesh, India.

While giving charity, he is asked by a local about his identity.