1955-
Software Developer

Entrepreneur.

William Henry Gates is a study in contrasts. He has shaped one of the most successful American companies of the last few years, but in many ways he seems atypical of the successful businessman of the 1980s. In an era when pinstriped suits and power ties were signs of success, Gates has often been characterized as a nerd, and at times he seems to epitomize the stereotype of the computer nerd with great technical skills but little in the way of social skills.

An Early Start.

Gates, the son of a successful Seattle lawyer, dropped out of Harvard University after his junior year to form Microsoft with Paul Allen and Ric Wieland. Gates and Allen grew up together in Seattle, and both shared an interest in computers. While still in high school, Gates and Allen formed a small programming company called...