CarpetDog

One of the world’s richest men - and one of its greatest philanthropists through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Born in Seattle on 28 October 1955, the son of an attorney and a schoolteacher, Bill Gates had, by the age of 17, sold his first computer program - a timetabling system for the school - for $4,200. At Harvard he teamed up with an old schoolmate, Paul Allen, to write the first computer-language program for a PC. The pair of them established Microsoft in 1975 and, a year later, Gates dropped out of Harvard to run the company. In 1986 they floated it, raising $61m.

Gates was one of the first to spot the value in splitting the software and operating systems from the hardware. “That was a doozy,” he once said. “We allowed there to be massive innovation on the hardware side and massive innovation on the software side.” On top of this, he had the foresight to understand the importance of owning the dominant operating system in the emerging IT industry. But he hasn’t stopped there. He is very aware of the next generation and is constantly pushing for advances and improvements in the Microsoft offering. In an effort to develop software and services for the internet age, the company is investing heavily in research and development, thereby responding to the threat posed by companies such as Google.

Gates is not just a global businessman. He is the “philanthropist-in-chief” on a global basis, and is committed to giving away 95 per cent of his wealth before he dies. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000, aims to make health and learning available to all, and to ensure that advances in these areas reach those who need them most. It supports work in more than a hundred countries, with about 60 per cent of its grants going outside the US.

In creating and continuing to develop a global brand that is part of our daily lives, Gates has amassed a personal wealth of $50bn. Impressive in itself. But what makes him so special is that he recognises the potential of the influence he has on businesses and governments (he has recently agreed to advise the UK Treasury on globalisation) and on the lives of people worldwide. He does his best to exploit this influence, not only for his own benefit, but also to inspire a new generation of businesses and emerging economies, as well as to improve the lives of others.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a hero as someone “admired for achievements and noble qualities”. There can be no argument that Gates has made monumental achievements in the business world. But it is the way in which he encourages a global approach to both business and charity, and the application of his business brain to his charitable efforts, that mean he should be recognised just as much for his noble qualities - and as a hero of today.
Digby Jones