William (Bill) H.

Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft had revenues of !"##.$% billion for the fiscal &ear endin' (une $))*, and emplo&s more than +,,))) people in ,)- countries and re'ions. .n (une ,/, $))*, Microsoft announced that effective (ul& $))% Gates will transition out of a da&0 to0da& role in the compan& to spend more time on his 'lobal health and education wor1 at the Bill 2 Melinda Gates 3oundation. 4fter (ul& $))% Gates will continue to serve as Microsoft5s chairman and an advisor on 1e& development pro6ects. 7he two0&ear transition process is to ensure that there is a smooth and orderl& transfer of Gates5 dail& responsibilities. 8ffective (une $))*, 9a& .zzie has assumed Gates5 previous title as chief software architect and is wor1in' side b& side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversi'ht responsibilities at Microsoft. Crai' Mundie has assumed the new title of chief research and strate'& officer at Microsoft and is wor1in' closel& with Gates to assume his responsibilit& for the compan&5s research and incubation efforts. Born on .ct. $%, ,://, Gates 'rew up in !eattle with his two sisters. 7heir father, William H. Gates ;;, is a !eattle attorne&. 7heir late mother, Mar& Gates, was a schoolteacher, Washin'ton re'ent, and chairwoman of nited Wa& ;nternational. niversit& of

Gates attended public elementar& school and the private <a1eside !chool. 7here, he discovered his interest in software and be'an pro'rammin' computers at a'e ,-. ;n ,:+-, Gates entered Harvard niversit& as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from !teve Ballmer, now Microsoft=s chief e>ecutive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the pro'rammin' lan'ua'e B4!;C for the first microcomputer 0 the M;7! 4ltair. ;n his 6unior &ear, Gates left Harvard to devote his ener'ies to Microsoft, a compan& he had be'un in ,:+/ with his childhood friend ?aul 4llen. Guided b& a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on ever& office des1top and in ever& home, the& be'an developin' software for personal computers. Gates= foresi'ht and his vision for personal computin' have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industr&. nder Gates= leadership, Microsoft=s mission has been to continuall& advance and improve software technolo'&, and to ma1e it easier, more cost0effective and more en6o&able for people to use

computers. 7he compan& is committed to a lon'0term view, reflected in its investment of appro>imatel& "*.$ billion on research and development in the $))/ fiscal &ear. ;n ,:::, Gates wrote Business @ the !peed of 7hou'ht, a boo1 that shows how computer technolo'& can solve business problems in fundamentall& new wa&s. 7he boo1 was published in $/ lan'ua'es and is available in more than *) countries. Business @ the !peed of 7hou'ht has received wide critical acclaim, and was listed on the best0seller lists of the Aew Bor1 7imes, in ,::/, held the Ao. , spot on the Aew Bor1 7imes= bestseller list for seven wee1s. !4 7oda&, the Wall !treet (ournal and 4mazon.com. Gates= previous boo1, 7he 9oad 4head, published

Gates has donated the proceeds of both boo1s to non0profit or'anizations that support the use of technolo'& in education and s1ills development. ;n addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developin' one of the world=s lar'est resources of visual information 0 a comprehensive di'ital archive of art and photo'raph& from public and private collections around the 'lobe. He is also a member of the board of directors of Ber1shire Hathawa& ;nc., which invests in companies en'a'ed in diverse business activities. ?hilanthrop& is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have endowed a foundation with more than "$%.% billion (as of (anuar& $))/) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of 'lobal health and learnin', with the hope that in the $,st centur&, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people. 7he Bill and Melinda Gates 3oundation has committed more than "-.* billion to or'anizations wor1in' in 'lobal healthC more than "$ billion to improve learnin' opportunities, includin' the Gates <ibrar& ;nitiative to brin' computers, ;nternet 4ccess and trainin' to public libraries in low0income communities in the pro6ects and annual 'ivin' campai'ns. Gates was married on (an. ,, ,::#, to Melinda 3rench Gates. 7he& have three children. Gates is an avid reader, and en6o&s pla&in' 'olf and brid'e. nited !tates and CanadaC more than "#++ million to communit& pro6ects in the ?acific AorthwestC and more than "#%% million to special