Bill Gates

Bill Gates is an American businessman and philanthropist. He was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1955. He co-founded Microsoft, which became the world's largest software company. He now spends most of his time giving away money to help people around the world.

Early Life

Gates became interested in computers when he was 13 years old. He and his friend Paul Allen would spend hours programming. They started Microsoft in 1975 when Gates was just 19. The company's software ended up on most of the world's personal computers.

Philanthropy

Gates and his ex-wife Melinda started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is one of the largest charitable organizations in the world. The foundation works to fight diseases, improve education, and reduce poverty. Gates has given away over 50 billion dollars to charity.

Fun Facts

• Bill Gates wrote his first computer program at age 13.
• He dropped out of Harvard University to start Microsoft.
• His foundation has helped save millions of lives by funding vaccines around the world.

Did You Know?

Bill Gates reads about 50 books every year. He shares his favorite books on his blog to encourage others to read too.