Gates left Harvard to pursue his passion of programming and founded Microsoft at age 20. By his early 30s, he had become the wealthiest man in the US. In 2006, he stepped down as full-time chairman of Microsoft to dedicate himself to his foundation, which has donated over $28 billion. The document outlines Gates' accomplishments and background, including his family, education, work history at Microsoft, personal life, and philanthropic foundation work.

1. “If I'd had some set idea
of a finish line, don't you
think I would have
crossed it years ago?”
Daniel Lichi

2. Some accomplishments..
• Gates founded Microsoft at 20 Y/O based on the aspiration of working on what he
liked most, programming
• He left Harvard to pursue his long-term dream
• By 32 he was the wealthiest man in the US
• By 49 Created William Gates Foundation, personally donated more than $28B
• Since 2006, Gates stepped down as full time chairman from Microsoft to dedicate his
full time to the foundation.

3. Brief biographical sketch
Family
• Entrepreneurial
and supportive
family
• Family
encouraged
competition;
reward for
winning, penalty
for losing
Education
• Interest in
programming -
excused absence
• Harvard for
College - met
Steve Ballmer,
successor as CEO
• Left Harvard to
form Microsoft
with childhood
friend Paul Allen.
Microsoft
• Early years - all
employees had
broad
responsibility for
company's
business
• First five years -
Gates personally
reviewed and
rewrote every line
of code the
company shipped
Personal Life
• 1994 married
Melinda French,
they have three
children
•1999, wealth briefly
surpassed
$101 billion, flew
coach until private jet
Foundation
•Carnegie and Rockefeller’s
example
•2006, announced transition
to part-time work at
Microsoft, and full-time at
Foundation.
•Second-most generous
philanthropists in
America, over $28B to
charity
•2014, Gates stepped down as
Chairman of Microsoft.

4. Four circles

5. Lessons learned
• Be passionate about what you like and do it, have clear goals
and go for it!
• If you are passionate about it, get others involved and share
that passion with your family, community and at work
• Have clear and strong values, communicate them, and live
up to them both professionally and personally
• Success is what you want it to be, there is never enough