Bill Gates was born into a well-educated and influential family in Seattle, Washington. His father, William H. Gates Sr., was a prominent attorney and served on several corporate and civic boards. He was known for encouraging public service and discipline, values that clearly shaped Bill’s later work ethic and philanthropy. Gates Sr. passed away in 2020 at the age of 94.

His mother, Mary Maxwell Gates, was a schoolteacher and later served on the boards of major organizations, including First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way (a community activism network). She was also the first woman to chair the board of Trustees of United Way of America. Crucially, it was Mary’s position on the board of IBM that led to a meeting between Microsoft and the tech giant, which was a turning point in the company’s early success. Mary Gates passed away in 1994.

Bill Gates married Melinda French in 1994 after meeting at Microsoft, where she worked as a product manager. The couple became well-known for their shared philanthropic work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which they co-founded in 2000. 

After leaving Microsoft to focus on family and philanthropic work, Melinda became a driving force behind the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which the couple co-founded in 2000, shaping many of its strategies in global health, education, and gender equity. In 2015, she launched Pivotal Ventures, an independent investment and incubation company focused on advancing women’s power and influence in the United States.

After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda divorced in 2021. They continued to co-chair the foundation until June 2024, when Melinda stepped down with a $12.5 billion commitment from the foundation to continue her own philanthropic initiatives.

The Gates have three children:

Despite being one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, Gates has stated publicly that he plans to leave only a modest inheritance to each of his children, emphasizing the importance of independence and self-driven achievement.

Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, into a well-connected and intellectually curious family. From an early age, he showed a natural aptitude for logic, maths, and critical thinking.

He attended Lakeside School, an elite private prep school in Seattle, where he was first introduced to computers in 1968. Lakeside had secured access to a Teletype terminal connected to a mainframe computer. Young Gates quickly became captivated, teaching himself to code in BASIC and spending hours writing programs, often skipping math classes to code. During his time at Lakeside, he formed a close bond with fellow student Paul Allen. The two collaborated extensively, even starting a small venture at age 15 called Traf-O-Data, which analysed traffic patterns using a rudimentary computer. The business earned them around $20,000 — an early sign of Gates’ entrepreneurial instincts.

By the time he graduated, Gates had scored 1590 out of 1600 on his SATs and was recognized for his talent in math and science. He applied to and was accepted at Harvard University, setting the stage for the next major chapter of his life.

In 1973, Bill Gates enrolled at Harvard University, initially declaring a pre-law major. However, his true interests lay in mathematics and computer science. He spent much of his time in the university’s computer lab, experimenting with code and developing software, often at the expense of attending lectures.

While at Harvard, Gates continued to collaborate with Paul Allen, who had moved to Boston to work for Honeywell. In 1974, the two were captivated by the launch of the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. Seeing its potential, Gates and Allen contacted the machine’s manufacturer, MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), claiming they had written a version of BASIC for the Altair — even though they hadn’t started yet. They worked around the clock to deliver the program, and it worked perfectly during the demo.

This moment led to the creation of Microsoft (originally “Micro-Soft”) in 1975. Gates made the bold decision to drop out of Harvard in his junior year to focus full-time on the new company. It’s a now-famous gamble that paid off — Microsoft would go on to become one of the most influential and profitable companies in history.

Bill Gates is best known for co-founding Microsoft, but his business footprint extends far beyond software. His portfolio includes both early startups to billion-dollar investment vehicles, demonstrating a consistent knack for identifying and capitalizing on long-term market value.

In 1975, Gates and Paul Allen founded with the vision of placing “a computer on every desk and in every home.” The company’s big break came when it secured a deal to provide the operating system for IBM’s first personal computer. Rather than selling the software outright, Gates insisted on licensing MS-DOS — a move that ensured Microsoft would profit from every unit IBM sold.

This strategy fueled Microsoft’s rise through the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in flagship products like Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer. Gates served as CEO until 2000, then transitioned to Chief Software Architect before stepping away from day-to-day operations in 2008. He remained on Microsoft’s board until 2020.

In 2006, Gates co-founded TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company focused on creating safer, more efficient energy solutions. TerraPower is currently developing the Natrium Reactor, a next-generation nuclear system that could help reduce global carbon emissions.

This aligns with Gates’ broader climate and sustainability efforts and positions him as a long-term investor in clean energy technologies.

Founded in 2015, Breakthrough Energy is a network of investment funds, philanthropic programs, and policy initiatives aimed at accelerating innovation in sustainable energy and decarbonization.

The initiative has drawn support from other high-profile investors including Jeff Bezos and Michael Bloomberg, and supports ventures in green hydrogen, grid storage, and carbon capture.

Founded in 1995, Cascade Investment LLC is Gates’ private investment vehicle. It’s the engine behind his diversified wealth — holding stakes in public equities, real estate, farmland, and private companies.

Cascade manages tens of billions in assets, including significant positions in companies like Berkshire Hathaway, Waste Management, Caterpillar, and Canadian National Railway. These holdings reflect Gates’ long-term, value-driven investment philosophy — a strategy many investors look to emulate.

Bill Gates has consistently ranked among the richest individuals in the world for decades, which is a testament to the compounding power of long-term investments and intellectual property. Although he’s donated tens of billions through his philanthropic foundation, his net worth continues to grow thanks to stakes in Microsoft and a highly diversified investment portfolio managed through Cascade Investment.

Below is a year-by-year look at Gates’ estimated net worth, sourced from Forbes and Bloomberg data.

*2025 figure is a current estimate as of June.

Bill Gates stepped down from daily duties at Microsoft a few years ago now, so how does his wealth continue to grow? His net worth is no longer supplemented by a salary, but through smart investments and strategic equity positions. Here’s a breakdown of where his money comes from today.

Gates’ largest earnings vehicle is Cascade Investment LLC. Founded with proceeds from early Microsoft stock sales, Cascade manages:

Yes! Microsoft is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol MSFT. It’s one of the most widely held and consistently profitable tech stocks globally, and remains a cornerstone of Gates’ portfolio.

Microsoft continues to outperform market benchmarks thanks to:

Bill Gates is one of the most prolific philanthropists in modern history. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he has donated more than $50 billion (USD) toward global health, education, and poverty reduction. But while many praise the scale of his giving, others argue that the very existence of billionaire philanthropy (with its tax breaks and private influence) raises difficult ethical questions.

Founded in 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the world’s largest private charitable organisations. It focuses primarily on:

Unlike some philanthropic efforts that focus on feel-good causes or elite institutions, the Gates Foundation often aims to solve large-scale, structural problems affecting low-income regions, especially in Africa and South Asia.

Gates’ giving is largely top-down: funding institutions, large-scale partnerships, and technological solutions to global problems. That said, some programmes do funnel resources to grassroots implementers, such as local health workers and agricultural cooperatives.

But the key difference is scale over community. Gates’ impact is measured in disease eradication numbers, not small-scale community development.

Bill Gates’ long career has been punctuated by innovation, influence, and a fair amount of controversy. From courtroom battles to global accolades, here are key moments that have shaped public opinion on this billionaire.

At just 19 years old, Gates dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen in a move that would redefine the software industry.

Microsoft’s licensing deal to supply MS-DOS for IBM PCs gave it a near-monopoly on operating systems. Gates’ business acumen was already world-class.

The IPO instantly made Gates a multimillionaire.

: Gates became the youngest billionaire in history at age 31.

With a focus on health, education, and equity, the foundation became one of the most powerful philanthropic entities on the planet.

Despite famously dropping out, Gates received an honorary degree from Harvard and gave a memorable commencement address.

Alongside Warren Buffett, Gates launched the Giving Pledge, encouraging billionaires to commit at least half their wealth to philanthropy.

His personal blog became a go-to destination for book reviews, climate opinions, and reflections on global progress.

A 2015 TED Talk in which Gates warned about global pandemic risks went viral in 2020, gaining renewed attention for his foresight.

Gates was at the center of a landmark antitrust case, where Microsoft was accused of maintaining a software monopoly. His deposition came across as evasive and combative, drawing widespread criticism. While Microsoft avoided being broken up, it altered its practices substantially.

After 27 years of marriage, the divorce shocked many and prompted scrutiny of Gates’ private life and business associations.

Gates’ meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even after Epstein’s initial conviction, raised eyebrows and reputational concerns. While Gates said he “regrets the association,” the damage to public perception was notable.

Though his charitable donations are vast, critics argue the Gates Foundation wields too much private power in global health policy — often lacking transparency and democratic oversight. Others highlight the tax advantages that make billionaire philanthropy more beneficial to the donor than it appears on paper.

While Gates has positioned himself as a climate innovator, some of his investments such as synthetic meat and carbon capture are viewed as top-down or inaccessible, raising concerns about whether they truly address root issues or simply reinforce existing power structures.

Like many ultra-wealthy individuals, Gates has faced scrutiny over aggressive tax minimization strategies, often routed through charitable entities.

Bill Gates is undeniably one of the most influential figures of the digital age. But his public image – once mostly associated with nerdy genius – has become more complicated over time. Depending on whom you ask, he’s either a brilliant changemaker, a shrewd monopolist, or a symbol of the problems with billionaire-led progress.

Bill Gates has delivered hundreds of memorable lines over the decades, but they’re often taken out of context, or are cut off before the end of the thought. Below are some of his most quoted remarks, alongside where and when they were made.

⤷ From his book “The Road Ahead” (1995).

⤷ Quoted in “Business @ the Speed of Thought” (1999).

⤷ Often attributed to Gates in workplace culture speeches, though not verified in print.

⤷ Frequently attributed, but not verifiably sourced — used widely in motivational media.

⤷ From a 2014 interview with the Financial Times.

⤷ Paraphrased from multiple speeches around the Giving Pledge (2010–onward).

“The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.”
⤷ From a 1999 article in The Washington Post.

“I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions, they will be moved to act.”
⤷ TED Talk, 2010.

“To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.”
⤷ Quoted from various keynotes; ties back to early Microsoft decisions.

“I read every night. I don’t watch a lot of TV.”
⤷ From a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), 2014.

“Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself.”
⤷ Frequently attributed online, likely paraphrased from Gates’ interviews on personal growth.

More than just the co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates is a global symbol of how innovation, strategic thinking, and long-term vision can create staggering wealth and fuel large-scale philanthropy. His journey from Harvard dropout to tech mogul and global health advocate is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in the mechanics of modern influence.

While his net worth continues to fluctuate, Gates has steadily moved his attention from software dominance to global impact, all while maintaining a hands-on role with his investments. Whether you admire his relentless curiosity, his approach to giving, or simply want to peek into his stock portfolio, one thing is clear: Bill Gates remains one of the most influential billionaires of our time.