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Bill Gates is a name synonymous with both technological revolution and extraordinary generosity. As the co-founder of Microsoft, one of the most valuable companies in the history of the world, and as a global philanthropist through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, his biography spans the full arc of modern technology and humanitarian ambition. This article covers Bill Gates’s age, wife, net worth, Microsoft career, philanthropy, education, and lifestyle.
Quick Facts: Bill Gates Wiki
- Full Name: William Henry Gates III
- Date of Birth: October 28, 1955
- Age: 70 years old (as of 2026)
- Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Nationality: American
- Religion: Catholic (raised), described himself as agnostic in adulthood
- Ethnicity: White American (English, German, Irish, Scottish descent)
- Occupation: Technology Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Investor, Author
- Net Worth: Approximately $130 billion (2026)
Early Life and Background
William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He was the second of three children born to William Henry Gates Sr., a prominent lawyer, and Mary Maxwell Gates, a schoolteacher who later served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the national board of United Way. His family was upper-middle class and emphasized education and competition.
Gates showed an exceptional aptitude for mathematics and computing from a very young age. At age 13, he enrolled at Lakeside School, an exclusive private school in Seattle, where he first encountered a computer terminal. He became obsessed with programming, spending hours on the school’s ASR-33 Teletype terminal.
Education
Gates attended Lakeside School, where he wrote his first software program at age 13, a tic-tac-toe game that allowed users to play against the computer. He met his future Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at Lakeside, and the two began collaborating on programming projects.
In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University, where he lived in Currier House and spent much of his time in the computer lab. He was accepted into Harvard’s honors math program and scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT. However, he never completed his degree, dropping out in his junior year in 1975 to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen. Harvard awarded him an honorary degree in 2007, to which he joked he was the most successful dropout in the school’s history.
Career Journey
Bill Gates and Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975. Their first product was an interpreter for the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800, the first successful personal computer. This set the trajectory for what would become the most important software company in the world.
The pivotal moment in Microsoft’s history came in 1980, when IBM approached Gates for an operating system for its new personal computer. Gates purchased an operating system called QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System) for $50,000, modified it, and licensed it to IBM as PC-DOS. Crucially, he retained the rights to license the software independently, a masterstroke that would make Microsoft’s fortune as PC clones flooded the market.
Microsoft Windows launched in 1985 and became the dominant operating system for personal computers globally. In 1986, Microsoft went public at $21 per share, making Gates a paper billionaire at age 31. By 1995, he was the wealthiest person in the world.
Gates served as Microsoft CEO until 2000, when Steve Ballmer took over. He remained as Chairman until 2014. In 2020, he stepped down from Microsoft’s board entirely to focus on philanthropy. Under his era of leadership, Microsoft became the company that put a personal computer on every desk and in every home, arguably the defining technological achievement of the 20th century.
Personal Life
Bill Gates is a voracious reader, reportedly reading 50 books a year. He publishes regular book recommendations on his blog, Gates Notes. He is an avid bridge player and plays the card game regularly, including with his longtime friend Warren Buffett. His famous ‘Think Weeks’ where he retreats alone to a lakeside cottage to read and think are legendary in Silicon Valley.
Wife: Who Is Bill Gates Married To?
Bill Gates was married to Melinda French Gates for 27 years. They met when Melinda joined Microsoft in 1987 and married on January 1, 1994, in a private ceremony on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Together they founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world.
After 27 years of marriage, the couple announced their divorce on May 3, 2021, which was finalized later that year. The divorce was one of the most high-profile of the decade. Since the divorce, reports emerged about problems in the marriage related to Gates’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, among other issues. As of 2025, Bill Gates’s relationship status is not publicly confirmed.
Children
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have three children together. Their eldest daughter, Jennifer Katharine Gates, was born in 1996 and married equestrian Nayel Nassar in 2021. Their son, Rory John Gates, was born in 1999. Their youngest daughter, Phoebe Adele Gates, was born in 2002. Bill Gates has spoken about giving his children a relatively modest inheritance despite his extraordinary wealth.
Net Worth
Bill Gates’s net worth is estimated at approximately $130 billion as of 2025. His source of wealth includes his original Microsoft shares (though he has sold most of them over the decades), his investment portfolio managed through Cascade Investment LLC, and various other holdings including substantial real estate, farmland, and stakes in numerous companies including Canadian National Railway, Deere and Company, and Waste Management. Notably, his net worth would be significantly higher had he not donated tens of billions to the Gates Foundation over the years.
Cars and House
Bill Gates’s most famous property is his primary residence in Medina, Washington, nicknamed ‘Xanadu 2.0.’ The house took seven years to build and cost approximately $63 million to construct. It spans 66,000 square feet and features a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a 2,500-square-foot gym, a 1,000-square-foot dining room, and a 2,100-square-foot library containing a quote from The Great Gatsby. He also owns properties in Florida and other locations.
Bill Gates is also the largest private owner of farmland in the United States, owning approximately 270,000 acres across multiple states. His car collection includes a Porsche 959, a Porsche 911, a Ferrari 348, a Jaguar XJ6, and a Mercedes-Benz 500SL. He also owns a Porsche Taycan, an electric sports car.
Businesses and Investments
- Microsoft (co-founder, former CEO, former Chairman)
- Cascade Investment LLC (personal investment vehicle holding billions in diverse assets)
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (co-founded, since renamed)
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures (climate technology investment fund)
- TerraPower (advanced nuclear energy company, co-founder)
- Largest private farmland owner in the United States (270,000+ acres)
Awards and Achievements
- Forbes Richest Person in the World (multiple years between 1995 and 2017)
- TIME Magazine Person of the Year (1999, shared)
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (honorary, 2005)
- Gates Foundation has donated over $60 billion to global health, education, and poverty alleviation
- Credited with helping eradicate polio from most of the world through vaccination campaigns
Social Media Handles
- Twitter/X: @BillGates
- Facebook: Bill Gates
- Instagram: @thisisbillgates
- LinkedIn: Bill Gates
- Blog: gatesnotes.com
Interesting Facts About Bill Gates
- He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.
- He dropped out of Harvard at age 20 to co-found Microsoft.
- He received an honorary degree from Harvard in 2007, 32 years after dropping out.
- His home in Medina, Washington took 7 years to build and cost over $63 million.
- He is the largest private farmland owner in the United States.
- He and Warren Buffett are close friends and frequent bridge-playing partners.
Read More: Jeff Bezos Biography: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Amazon and Business Career
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How old is Bill Gates?
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955. He is 69 years old as of 2025.
What is Bill Gates’s net worth?
His net worth is approximately $130 billion as of 2025.
Is Bill Gates still married?
Bill Gates divorced Melinda French Gates in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. His current relationship status is not publicly confirmed.
How many children does Bill Gates have?
Bill Gates has three children: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.
What is Bill Gates’s source of wealth?
His source of wealth includes his Microsoft holdings, Cascade Investment LLC’s diversified portfolio, and various other investments including farmland.
Conclusion
Bill Gates’s biography is the defining story of the personal computer era. He built Microsoft into the backbone of the global information economy and then reinvented himself as one of the world’s most impactful philanthropists. From the dorm rooms of Harvard to the board rooms of global health organizations fighting malaria and polio, Gates has consistently operated at the very frontier of what one person can accomplish in a lifetime.
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