About Bill Gates
William Henry Gates III, known as Bill Gates, helped start the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen, becoming a key figure in the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. After Microsoft went public in 1986, his wealth grew quickly, and at age 31 he became the world’s then‑youngest billionaire in 1987. Forbes listed him as the world’s wealthiest person for 18 of the 24 years between 1995 and 2017, including a stretch of 13 straight years from 1995 to 2007. In 1999 he briefly surpassed a net worth of $100 billion, making him the first centibillionaire. As of February 2026 his net worth was about $107.7 billion, placing him as the 18th‑wealthiest person worldwide.
![“Anyway, the US, as in most issues, is the best, has the best capability to lead, and really needs to lead. It doesn't [mean] that other countries won't pick different tacks and emphasize different things. In aggregate, they're almost half of the energy R&D. Europe, China, Japan - it's very…” quote by Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/94a/bill-gates-137_capability_anyway-the-us-as-in-most-issues-is-the-b_1243727.jpg)
