| As the co-founder and chairman of the mammoth | | | | For instance, in a 2006 list compiled by New |
| Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates is the | | | | Statesman magazine, Gates was voted eighth in |
| moving force behind a company that has been | | | | the "Heroes of Our Time" category. |
| regarded as "The Most Innovative Company | | | | |
| Operating in the U.S." (1993, Forbes | | | | In June 2006, Gates announced that he will be |
| magazines). Microsoft introduced several | | | | handing the reins of Microsoft's day-to-day |
| revolutionary technological advancements in | | | | operations to someone else by July 2008 to |
| the computer industry that made the company | | | | concentrate on the philanthropic work of the |
| the first truly dominant player among home | | | | Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, although |
| computer operating systems. Microsoft also | | | | he will continue to serve as the company's |
| created the most widely used operating system | | | | chairman and as an advisor on special |
| in the world, Microsoft Windows. | | | | projects. Plans are already afoot to transfer |
| | | | Gates' role as Chief Software Architect of |
| Gates is widely regarded as the brains behind | | | | Microsoft to Ray Ozzie, the former head |
| the Microsoft Corporation, primarily | | | | honcho of the Groove company which Microsoft |
| responsible for product strategy from the | | | | purchased in 2005. |
| time the company was founded in 1975 until | | | | |
| 2006. Among his key contributions are | | | | Gates has donated several millions of dollars |
| extensively broadening the company's product | | | | to various charitable groups and scientific |
| lines and vigorously defending Microsoft's | | | | research studies. By some estimates, Gates |
| dominant position in its key areas of | | | | has contributed over half his fortune to |
| operation. And while some of his decisions | | | | charity. Even if such were the case, he can |
| have led to antitrust litigation over | | | | easily afford it. Recently, the prestigious |
| Microsoft's business practices, his | | | | Forbes magazine named Gates as the world's |
| reputation as one of the most popular and | | | | richest person for the 12th straight year, |
| respected entrepreneurs of the personal | | | | with a 2006 net worth of $50 billion. |
| computer revolution remains intact. His fame | | | | Incidentally, he actually became the world's |
| actually surpasses the realm of computers and | | | | first "centibillionaire" in 1999 when his net |
| business and extends into mainstream society. | | | | worth surpassed the 100 billion mark briefly. |