Bill Gates

Bill Gates

Introduction

A man with a degree from Harvard University would not only impress potential employers but would also place him among the worlds most intelligent elite. But what about a man who decided to drop out of this renown university to devote his energies elsewhere? You may think this man has a few screws loose. Needless to say, Bill Gates has never been thought of as having a few screws loose. This multibillionaire, not only engineered Microsoft Software, his business strategy and philanthropic endeavors have placed Gates among the best in the world (According to Forbes Top 100). After dropping out of college his junior year, guided by the idea of putting a computer on every desk in every home, Bill Gates’ foresight and vision for personal computing have been essential to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. The world has concluded through examination of Gates person history, his billion dollar Microsoft Corporation, and through his generosity along with philanthropic endeavors, He is one of the most successful and influential people not only of the 21st century but throughout ALL of history.

Body

Early Years

William Henry Gates was born into a family with a rich history in business, politics, and community service. Early on in life, it was apparent that Bill Gates inherited the ambition, intelligence, and competitive spirit that had helped his progenitors rise to the top in their chosen professions. In elementary school he quickly surpassed all of his peer's abilities in nearly all subjects, especially math and science. His parents recognized his intelligence and decided to enroll him in Lakeside, a private school known for its intense academic environment. This decision had far reaching effects on Bill Gates's life. For at Lakeside, Bill Gates was first introduced to computers. In the Spring of 1968, the Lakeside prep school decided that it should acquaint the student body with the world of computers.

Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and a few other Lakeside students (many of whom were the first programmers hired at Microsoft) immediately became inseparable from the computer. They would stay in the computer room all day and night, writing programs, reading computer literature and anything else they could to learn about computing. Soon Gates and the others started running into problems with the faculty. Their homework was being turned in late (if at all), they were skipping classes to be in the computer room and worst of all, they had used up all of the schools computer time in just a few weeks. The Lakeside Programmers Group had to find a new way to get computer time. Eventually they found a few computers on the University of Washington's campus where Allen's dad worked. The Lakeside Programmers Group began searching for new chances to apply their computer skills. Their first opportunity came early the next ]. Gates and Allen's next project involved starting another company entirely on their own, Traf-O-Data. They produced a small computer which was used to help measure traffic flow. From the project they grossed around $20,000. The Traf-O-Data company lasted until Gates left for college. During Bill Gates' junior year at Lakeside, the administration offered him a job computerizing the school's scheduling system. Gates asked Allen to help with the project. He agreed and the following summer, they wrote the program. In his senior year, Gates and Allen continued looking for opportunities to use their skills and make some money. It was not long until they found this opportunity. The defense contractor TRW was having trouble with a bug infested computer similar to the one at Computer Center Corporation. TRW had learned of the experience the two had working on the Computer Center Corporation's system and offered Gates and Allen jobs. However thing would be different at TRW they would not be finding the bugs they would be in charge of fixing them. year when Information Sciences Inc. hired them to program a payroll progHe had no idea what he wanted to study, so he enrolled as prelaw. Gates took the standard freshman courses with the exception of signing up for one of Harvard's toughest math courses. He did well but just as in high school, his heart was not in his studies. After locating the school's computer center, he lost himself in the world of computers once again. Gates would spend many long nights in front of the school's computer and the next days asleep in class. Paul Allen and Gates remained in close contact even with Bill away at school. They would often discuss ideas for future projects and the possibility of one day starting a business. At the end of Gates's first year at Harvard, the two decided that Allen should