--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega…" description: "\"I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega zillionaire; he's done a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff. I do mind that a lot of unworthy people..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/jon-evans-27097_done_i-don-t-mind-that-bill-gates-is-a-mega-z_1232920.png" --- # I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega zillionaire; he's… ![“I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega zillionaire; he's done a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff. I do mind that a lot of unworthy people rode his coattails to minizillionaire status, e.g. the inventor of Hungarian notation, probably the dumbest widely-promulgated idea in the history…” quote by Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/jon-evans-27097_done_i-don-t-mind-that-bill-gates-is-a-mega-z_1232920.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/jon-evans-27097_done_i-don-t-mind-that-bill-gates-is-a-mega-z_1232920.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a8/jon-evans-27097_done_i-don-t-mind-that-bill-gates-is-a-mega-z_1232920.png) > “I don't mind that Bill Gates is a mega zillionaire; he's done a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff. I do mind that a lot of unworthy people rode his coattails to minizillionaire status, e.g. the inventor of Hungarian notation, probably the dumbest widely-promulgated idea in the history of the field.” [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. While Bill Gates’ innovations are valuable, many unqualified individuals profit from his legacy, diluting his impact. **In simple terms:** Bill Gates’ work is great, but others exploit his fame. Key Takeaway Critically assess the influence of famous innovators and their followers. Themes innovation legacy exploitation reputation industry Mood critical analytical Type thought‑provoking cautionary When to use this quote - startup culture - investment decisions - career choices - ethical leadership Key Concepts intellectual property halo effect gatekeeping Questions to Reflect On - What criteria should we use to evaluate a follower’s contribution? - How can we protect innovation from opportunistic exploitation? A Different Perspective Not all followers lack merit; some add genuine value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Dumbest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumbest/) [Gates Mega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gates-mega-3819842/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Innovative Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovative-stuff-2523713/) [Interesting Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-innovative-2663370/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) [Inventor Hungarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor-hungarian-3819843/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I'm always open to new, innovative stuff and people trying to do stuff in a different way. 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They're not always being prominently published, but they're being published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/there-are-always-interesting-innovative-dynamic-stories-being-written/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [Forget honesty, forget creativity, the dumbest buy the mostest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dead-kennedys/forget-honesty-forget-creativity-the-dumbest-buy-the-mostest/) [Dead Kennedys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dead-kennedys/) > [“One of your siblings has got to be the dumbest. 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Geeks. Nerds. People who needed to know how machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-tech-industry-used-to-be-home-to-a-disproportionate-number-of/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [I've been a software engineer, a novelist, a journalist, and a manager - and managing developers is easily the trickiest thing I've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/i-ve-been-a-software-engineer-a-novelist-a-journalist-and-a-manager/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [“Humans serve cats as dogs serve humans. And sometimes, I fear, as ineptly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/humans-serve-cats-as-dogs-serve-humans-and-sometimes-i-fear-as-ineptly/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Every time you log in to Facebook, every time you click on your News Feed, every time you Like a photo, every time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/every-time-you-log-in-to-facebook-every-time-you-click-on-your-news/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [In theory, the Internet should bring us all closer together and slowly eliminate our differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/in-theory-the-internet-should-bring-us-all-closer-together-and-slowly/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [To succeed in the tech industry, you start businesses, make money, and make smart investments. 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They're a bad way for companies to evaluate candidates. They're a bad way for candidates to evaluate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/traditional-technical-interviews-are-terrible-for-everyone-they-re-a/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [Basically, a manager's job is to make other people more productive. What's one really good way to do that? Do the work that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/basically-a-manager-s-job-is-to-make-other-people-more-productive/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [It is a truth universally acknowledged, in the enlightened liberal semi-socialist California circles in which I often move, that Uber is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/it-is-a-truth-universally-acknowledged-in-the-enlightened-liberal/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [The great irony of management is that the higher up you go, the less actual control you have. When you are but a humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/the-great-irony-of-management-is-that-the-higher-up-you-go-the-less/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [I am very happily employed as a full-time software engineer; I travel a lot, and I write books along with this here weekly TechCrunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/i-am-very-happily-employed-as-a-full-time-software-engineer-i-travel/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) [Explore all 21 Jon Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. 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