Gates, William H.

Gates, William H.

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This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Tom Lawrence

William (Bill) H. Gates (1955-) is co-founder with childhood friend Paul Allen of Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest producer of software, services, and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. While a student at Harvard University, he co-authored with Paul Allen the original Altair BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, the first commercially successful personal computer. In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975. Microsoft eventually grew to generate revenues of US$32 billion and employ more than 55,000 people in 85 countries and regions. He and his wife Melinda endowed a foundation with more than US$24 billion to support philanthropic initiatives in global health and learning, and to provide Internet access to developing nations. In June of 1999, Gates and his wife donated US$5 billion to their foundation, the largest single donation ever made by living individuals.

Further Reading
Bill Gates' Homepage (Microsoft Corporation)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Homepage

Citation

Cutler Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Gates, William H.". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 6, 2006; Last revised Date September 6, 2006; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Gates%2C_William_H.>

The Author

Cutler Cleveland Editor-in-Chief The Encyclopedia of Earth Cutler J. Cleveland is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. Dr. Cleveland is currently a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Boston University, with joint appointments in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer Range Future. He also is a Senior Fellow at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington D.C. Dr. Cleveland is als ... (Full Bio)

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