WilliamHenryBillGatesWilliamHenryBillGatesIII(bornOctober28,1955)isanAmericanbusinessmagnate,philanthropist,authorandchairmanofMicrosoft,thesoftwarecompanyhefoundedwithPaulAllen.Heisconsistentlyrankedamongtheworld'swealthiestpeopleandwasthewealthiestoverallfrom1995to2009,excluding2008,whenhewasrankedthird.DuringhiscareeratMicrosoft,GatesheldthepositionsofCEOandchiefsoftwarearchitect,andremainsthelargestindividualshareholderwithmorethan8percentofthecommonstock.Hehasalsoauthoredorco-authoredseveralbooks.Gatesisoneofthebest-knownentrepreneursofthepersonalcomputerrevolution.Althoughheisadmiredbymany,anumberofindustryinsiderscriticizehisbusinesstactics,whichtheyconsideranti-competitive,anopinionwhichhasinsomecasesbeenupheldbythecourts.Inthelaterstagesofhiscareer,Gateshaspursuedanumberofphilanthropicendeavors,donatinglargeamountsofmoneytovariouscharitableorganizationsandscientificresearchprogramsthroughtheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation,establishedin2000.BillGatessteppeddownaschiefexecutiveofficerofMicrosoftinJanuary2000.Heremainedaschairmanandcreatedthepositionofchiefsoftwarearchitect.InJune2006,Gatesannouncedthathewouldbetransitioningfromfull-timeworkatMicrosofttopart-timeworkandfull-timeworkattheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation.HegraduallytransferredhisdutiestoRayOzzie,chiefsoftwarearchitectandCraigMundie,chiefresearchandstrategyofficer.Gates'lastfull-timedayatMicrosoftwasJune27,2008.HeremainsatMicrosoftasnon-executivechairman.
