--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft…" description: "\"“The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt. All Bill Gates exploited was a line of 0s and 1s as long as a piece of string. Now Microsoft..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_money_the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft_316719.jpg" --- # The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt… ![“The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt. All Bill Gates exploited was a line of 0s and 1s as long as a piece of string. Now Microsoft employs 118,000 people. Number six on the rich list, Mark Zuckerberg, created Facebook out of less than that. All Mark had was a dumb idea that all…” quote by P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_money_the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft_316719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_money_the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft_316719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_money_the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft_316719.jpg) > ““The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt. All Bill Gates exploited was a line of 0s and 1s as long as a piece of string. Now Microsoft employs 118,000 people. Number six on the rich list, Mark Zuckerberg, created Facebook out of less than that. All Mark had was a dumb idea that all the stupid people want to tell every stupid thing about their lives to all the other stupid people. Current net worth of the person with that dumb idea, $11.2 billion.”” [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote satizes how tech giants grew from simple ideas and code, emphasizing the absurdity of their massive wealth relative to modest origins. **In simple terms:** Tech wealth seems absurd given humble beginnings. Key Takeaway Recognize the gap between idea and impact. Themes wealth technology humor inequality entrepreneurship Mood sarcastic critical humorous Type satirical commentary observational When to use this quote - startup pitches - investment decisions - media commentary - public policy debates Key Concepts digital economy network effects scalability Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about the value of ideas? - How do we measure true contribution? A Different Perspective The satire may overlook the hard work and innovation behind these successes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Net worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/net-worth/) [Richest Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richest-man/) [Stupid people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-people/) ## Related quotes > [“No man has been rewarded world's richest man for sleeping away his every day and night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/no-man-has-been-rewarded-world-s-richest-man-for-sleeping-away-his/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [(On being the world's richest man) I wish I wasn't... There's nothing good that comes out of that. You get more visibility as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/on-being-the-world-s-richest-man-i-wish-i-wasn-t-there-s-nothing-good/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I was at Harvard when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook, and I begged him not to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-jost/i-was-at-harvard-when-mark-zuckerberg-created-facebook-and-i-begged/) [Colin Jost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-jost/) > [I do know some of the world's richest people. In monetary terms, they all performed very well. In terms of a fulfilling life, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-faber/i-do-know-some-of-the-world-s-richest-people-in-monetary-terms-they/) [Marc Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-faber/) > [China is now expected to surpass Japan as the 2nd richest country in the world. They could become the richest, but that's only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/china-is-now-expected-to-surpass-japan-as-the-2nd-richest-country-in/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“But Nikki White was a citizen of the world’s richest country, the United States of America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/but-nikki-white-was-a-citizen-of-the-world-s-richest-country-the/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [“Ultimately Rockefeller's confidence games proved wildly successful. 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It's the man who still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-mason/the-richest-man-in-the-world-is-not-the-one-who-still-has-the-first/) Martha Mason > [Women's love like a pure diamond ..if you have it .you are the richest man in this world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hina-zahid/women-s-love-like-a-pure-diamond-if-you-have-it-you-are-the-richest/) Hina Zahid > [I own no property and yet I feel that I am perhaps the richest man in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-own-no-property-and-yet-i-feel-that-i-am-perhaps-the-richest-man-in/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I intend to be, the richest man in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-hughes/i-intend-to-be-the-richest-man-in-the-world/) [Howard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hughes/) ## More by P.J. 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CNN reports that Hillary and Bill collected $153 million in speaking fees between 2001 and 2015. Ken Starr, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/indeed-it-costs-more-cnn-reports-that-hillary-and-bill-collected-153/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“We all know how 'modern democracies take loaves from the wealthy.' It's the slipups in the 'pass them out to the poor' department that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/we-all-know-how-modern-democracies-take-loaves-from-the-wealthy-it-s/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“The Affordable Health Care for Americans Act, passed by the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009, was 1,990 pages long. You could stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/the-affordable-health-care-for-americans-act-passed-by-the-house-of/) [P.J. 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