Bill Gates Biography
Bill Gates, the founder and chairman of Microsoft Corporation as well as being the second richest man in the world does not require a formal introduction. Mr. Gates is globally renowned and highly cherished investor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, who is currently ranked as the second richest man in the world by the prestigious Forbes magazine. Born in Seattle, Washington, Bill Gates completed his schooling from Lakeside School in the year 1973 and with brilliant SAT score received an immediate admission in the coveted Harvard College, of which he later dropped out to pursue his passions for computers. Then, in the year 1975, Bill Gates along with Paul Allen took the giant leap of establishing Microsoft Corporation in Albuquerque. Bill Gates, besides his unfathomable genius is also most renowned for his business skills that led to the stark rise of Microsoft, where served as the company’s CEO till the year 2000, when he relinquished his post and tool on the role of the Chairman of Microsoft, as well as the firm’s chief software architect.
With a net worth of a staggering $61 billion, Bill Gates currently holds the second place for the richest man in the world, credited by Forbes Magazine.In his personal life, Mr. Gates is married to Melinda Gates and together the duo formed the highly revered Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that has now become a principal name in the field of philanthropy.
Apart from his stakes in Microsoft, Bill Gates also owns substantial amount of financial interests in Ecolab and Mexican broadcaster Televisa. Besides the personal fortune, Bill Gates is also the recipient of numerous awards, accolades and recognition, the most recent being the title bestowed by Forbes magazine stating that Mr. Gates is the ‘fifth most powerful person in the world’. In the year 2005, Bill Gates received his most proud recognition till time, when he was given the title of an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
Bill GatesÂ
Current Position: Chairman, Microsoft Corp. & Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Age: 56
Nationality: United States of America
Source of Wealth: Microsoft Corporation
Net Worth: $61 Billion
Education: Drop Out, Harvard University
Marital Status: Married
Children: 3
Bill Gates House
For a man who has lived in the world of binary codes, it’s only befitting that the Bill Gates house turns out to be a spectacle of gorgeous architecture and state of the art comforts in sync with codes. Bill Gates residence, which is known by its popular name of Xanadu 2.0 is located in the scenic region of Medina and overlooks Lake Washington. The house itself has been designed in Pacific Lodge style and features seven lavish rooms that are complemented with 24 bathrooms and ten full baths. Furthermore, Xanadu 2.0 which also denotes the rich element of the luxury residence comes with six kitchens as well as six fire places. On the inside, Bill Gates house features a fully equipped fitness center that is comprised of sauna, a steam room and even comes with a separate trampoline room that has been given a 20 foot high ceiling. For entertainment, Xanadu 2.0 sports a giant art deco theater that has been equipped with 22-foot wide video display and the room itself occupies some 1,500 square feet of space.
This luxury house is one of the most technologically advanced homes in the world with hundreds of microcomputers controlling nearly all aspects of the house’s functions. To enhance the aura of the house, there are hidden speakers installed behind the wallpapers on the wall, numerous electronic elements such as the likes of televisions, lights and temperature control are easily accessible via wall mounted touchpads. Furthermore, Xanadu 2.0 is also one of the most guest friendly house, as the guests are provided with a pins attached to their clothes, which enables the house system to calibrate themselves as per the need and tastes of the guests.
Bill Gates Collectibles
As with any rich and affluent member of the billionaire spectrum, even Bill Gates his fair share of exotic art and extremely valuable collectibles. In fact, the Bill Gates collection is comprised of some of the most iconic pieces of art and books that have been crafted and authored by renowned figures, such as the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci etc.
1. Â Distant Thunder
Artist: Andrew Wyeth
Price: $7 Million
Considered to be one of the most gripping works of legendary realist painter, Andrew Wythe, Distant Thunder graces the Bill Gates collection, when this iconic painting was picked up by the rich business tycoon for $7 million in the year 1996. Hailed as one of the prominent middle 20th century artists, Andrew Wyeth crafted Distant Thunder in the year 1961, while the portrait reflects heavily on the aspect of sound, along with its importance and impact. Among many of his famous creations are Spring Fed (1967) and Above the Narrows that have not only garnered intense attention from the art world, but have also made a significant impact in the realm of art museums and high profile art auctions.
2. Â The Nursery
Artist: William Merritt Chase
Price: $10 Million
With his immense affinity towards art, billionaire Bill Gates splashed $10 million, when he acquired a rare painting entitled, The Nursery, which was painted by the renowned American artist William Merritt Chase. Crafted in the year 1890, The Nursery depicts a lady dressed in a traditional British attire holding a bunch of flowers, which seem to have been plucked from the nearby nursery, where another women can be seen tending to the bushes. William Merritt Chase was considered to be one of the foremost American artists, who was well renowned for his focus on ‘Impressionism’ and widely acclaimed for his teaching talents.
3.  Room of Flowers
Artist: Frederick Childe Hassam
Price: $20 Million
Expanding his exquisite art collection, Bill Gates grabbed one of the famous artworks of Frederick Childe Hassam called, Room of Flowers and spent $20 million to acquire the painting. Childe Hassam was a highly revered American impressionist artist who was very well received in the world of art for his depictions of urban and coastal scenes. The artist is credited with the creation of more than 3,000 pieces of art that are composed of paintings, watercolors, etchings, and lithographs, while he is also remembered for being one of the founding members of the renowned group, ‘The Ten’, which was consisted of ten of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. The artist’s paintings known to have been claimed by several private collections and one his artworks entitled, ‘The Avenue in the Rain’ is known to be in the permanent collection of the White House, while being proudly displayed in the Oval Office.
4.  Polo Crowd
Artist: George Wesley Bellows
Price: $28 Million
Widely acclaimed as one of the most prominent early 20th century realist painters, George Wesley Bellows painted his iconic creation, ‘Polo Crowd’ in the year 1910, which was picked up by billionaire Bill Gates during an auction in the year 1999, where he paid $28 million for the painting. Adding to the rich man’s vastly growing private art collection, Polo Crowd brings to the table the creation and talents of a highly acclaimed artist, who by the end of his career had become the most acclaimed American artist of his generation. Paintings and other art works from George Wesley Bellows currently grace the exhibitions and collections of various highly reputed museums, such as the likes of National Gallery of Art, Washington DC; the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
5. Â Lost on the Grand Banks
Artist: Winslow Homer
Price: $36 Million
 
‘Lost on the Grand Banks’, the legendary masterpiece created by Winslow Homer, is regarded as one the most iconic 19th century American painters not only compelled Bill Gates to shell out $36 million to acquire the painting, but with the sale of the artwork, Homer’s painting has also become the most expensive American painting in the history. Winslow Homer is largely remembered for his creations that were heavily focused on marine subjects and with his immense talents became a role model for numerous and famous American artists and painters.
Winslow Homer was honored by the U.S government on a national level, when in the year 1962, the U.S Post Office introduced a commemorative stamp in the artist’s honor, which depicted famous oil painting “Breezing Up” as the image on the stamp itself.
6.  Codex Leicester
Author: Leonardo Da Vinci
Price: $30.8 Million
One of the most prominent and extremely influential Renaissance figures all times, Leonardo Da Vinci, besides his for intricate artistic talents, is also widely regarded as a brilliant scientist, mathematician, engineer and inventor. To make his scientific theories and writings reach out to the masses, Da Vinci authored a book entitled, Codex Leicester. This significant piece of history was made even more famous, when the billionaire Bill Gates acquired the literature after spending $30.8 million, thereby bestowing upon Codex Leicester the title of the world’s most expensive manuscript.
The book was auctioned by the prestigious auction house Christie’s and the manuscript contains some of the theories of Da Vinci that at the same were bewildering to even the most learned scientists and scholars. Through Codex Leicester, Leonardo Da Vinci proposed that the mountains were created as the direct result of the shifting of earth’s tectonic plates, while also providing thrilling insights into the field of fluid dynamics.
Bill Gates Cars
Besides technology, arts & collectibles and a huge affinity towards philanthropy, the extremely rich business magnate Bill Gates also carries an innate charm towards fast cars. The entire Bill Gates cars collection is primarily comprised numerous vintage sports cars from Porsche, while also featuring luxury cars from other world renowned brands such as the likes of Jaguar.
1. Â 1988 Porsche 959
Price: $387,000
Designed and developed by the iconic German luxury marquee, Porsche SE, the 1988 Porsche 959 Turbo is the most cherished of all sports car featured in Bill Gates car collection and the car itself carries a rather interesting trivia to it, when it to the rich IT tycoon. The Porsche 959 was purchased by Bill Gates in 1987 for $387,000, but the vehicle was immediately impounded by U.S authorities as the sports car wasn’t legally allowed to be run on U.S roads due to sheer high performance figures. However, in the year 1998, after extensive lobbying by a Seattle-based organization called Vehicle Technologies, Inc., the then U.S President passed a law by the name of ‘Show and Display’ (S&D) that allowed the owners of Porsche 959 and other similar vehicles to take their rides for a fun filled spin.
The Porsche 959 was powered by a twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine that enabled it to make a sprint of 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. The Porsche 959 owned by Bill Gates is well renowned in the auto world as the ‘Gates 959’, which was ironically confiscated by the Customs Service at the Port of Seattle and the vehicle was kept with the authorities for nearly 13 years, before the passing of Show and Display law.
2. Â 1990 Ferrari 348 TB
Price: $100,000.
The richest men in the world; Bill Gates also realizes that when it comes to sports car collections, there is no doing away with a Ferrari. Hence, the Chairman of Microsoft added a 1990 Ferrai 348 TB to the Bill Gates car collection that not only proved a great buy to full his thrills for speed but also greatly enhanced his collection. The Ferrari 348 was introduced in the year 1989 and was launched as a direct successor to the Ferrari 208 and 328 models and was engineered to the laws of aerodynamics. The Ferrari sports car featured a pressed-steel monocoque chassis and was styled along the lines of the famous Ferrari 288 GTO. The 348 TB was powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine that provided the vehicle with 300 bhp and propelled it to a top speed of 171 mph, while enabling it achieve an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds.
3. Â 1989 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet 964
Price: $60,000
Being an avid Porsche aficionado, billionaire Bill Gates has over the years accumulated quite a pristine collection of Porsche sports cars, with one of his most prized acquisitions being a 1990 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet 964. Featuring rear wheel system, the 964 Cabriolet is also widely known for being the last of the Porsche model that came with a removable Targa roof. The Porsche Carrera Cabriolet 964 was powered by a 3.6 liter H6 naturally aspirated engine that produced 247 bhp and enabled the Porsche to achieve a maximum speed of 163 mph. Tethered to a 5-speed Triptronic manual transmission the 964 Cabriolet managed to reach from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 5.2 seconds. Furthermore, Porsche had also provided the 964 Cabriolet with an all new automatic climate control system as well as smarter and larger warning lights.
4. Â 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera Convertible
Price: $76,167
Continuing the love for Porsche sports cars, Bill Gates added yet another marvelous Porsche to the Bill Gates cars collection in the form of the stunning 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera Convertible. Designed and developed to fulfill the roles of that of a day-to-day car as well as a luxury sports car, the 911 Carrera Convertible was the perfect amalgamations of the popular Porsche design style and state of the art auto engineering. Porsche has provided the 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera Convertible with an all-new 3.4L H^ engine that brought about 300 bhp, while the engine was heavily inspired from the Porsche Boxster series. The power plant produced 296 hp and came with a standard six speed manual transmission. Furthermore, Porsche has given this magnificent car ABS brakes, a sun roof, air conditioning, power windows, leather seats and power door locks.
5. Â Jaguar XJ6 (XJ Series III)
Price: $74,000
Bill Gates well renowned for his affinity towards vintage cars and this even reflects in his car collection that has a new addition in the form of a Jaguar XJ6 (XJ Series III). Introduced and widely produced between 1979–1992, the XJ6 was launched as a four door luxury saloon and carried the elegance and panache that Jaguar had become so famous for. Powered by a 5.3 L Jaguar V12 engine, the XJ6 was certainly a befitting example of bespoke comfort with raw power under the hood.
Bill Gates Yacht
The second richest man in the world, Bill Gates though had no qualms about announcing millions of dollars’ worth of donations for charitable purposes, is strangely quite secretive about his assets and his spending on luxury items. It has recently come to the surface that the IT titan might also be a proud owner of a super yacht. Christened, Goygpus, the luxury superyacht only made the headlines recently, when it was suggested that Bill Gates will be arriving for the 2012 London Olympics in his superyacht Goygpus, which stands at 200 feet in length and is equipped with just about every luxurious amenity possible. One thing is for certain, just as his house, Xanadu 2.0, his superyacht will also be a marvel of technology.
Bill Gates Aircraft
Bill Gates, the man who very much defines the attributes of rich and affluence, might not dress in the most sparkling of attires, but he does know how and where to spend his vast fortune. Considering that Mr. Gates is required to travel a lot for business and his philanthropy projects, the billionaire prefers to take to the skies in his very own private jet, which is a Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. With a price tag of $40 million, the Global Express private jet is also known as the Global 5000 and has been provided with opulent luxury, while featuring cutting edge aviation technology. The entire aircrafts measure 94 feet at wingspan and can achieve a maximum service ceiling of 51,000 feet. The Bombardier BD-700 Global Express is more than capable of flying at more than the speed of sound, a little over Mach 1 and boasts of a maximum range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km). Inside the cockpit, the Global 5000 features Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite that enables the pilot to fly the aircraft with error free navigation.
Bill Gates Travel
Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world is known to be keenly dedicated man of work who maintains a delicate balance between his responsibilities at Microsoft Corporation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. However, even the rich man needs to unwind and take a break from his hectic schedule. This is where Bill Gates’ choice of travel destination comes into play and gives an insight into how the billionaire prefers to spend quality time with his family on holidays.
1. Â Apussuit Adventure Camp:
Location:Â Apussuit Glacier, Greenland
Nestled in the breathtaking Apussuit glacier in Greenland, the Apussuit Adventure Camp is one of the foremost travel destinations of Bill Gates that offers a host of winter sport activities, while providing comfortable and luxurious accommodations. The adventure camp is Greenland’s biggest and only ski sport resort that provides both professional as well as amateur skiers the option of charting the 1,000 meter high Apussuit glacier. At the adventure camp, the guests are even offered snowmobile rides to the Kangerlusuatsiaq glacier; while the top of Apussuit glacier features a plain area surrounded with hills and is widely regarded as one of the best cross-country areas in the world. This particular luxury getaway has also played host to high profile guests, including the Royal Danish family, which has made two trips to his remote ski resort.
2. Â Le Taha’a Private Island Resort & Spa:
Location:Â Bora-Bora, French Polynesia
When it’s time for Bill Gates and his family to bask in luxury, the billionaires prefers to visit the Le Taha’a Private Island Resort & Spa. A perfect holiday getaway, this luxury resort and spa is located in the South Pacific and offers the guest a serene vacation experience, while also providing their much valued privacy. The guests are given splendid accommodations in water bungalows and the entire resort boasts of its very own resort. For the more traditional guests, the resort offers some 57 air-conditioned rooms that have been provided with separate living rooms and the rooms are fully equipped with satellite TVs, DVD players, while the resort even offers the availability of in-room coffee/tea makers and minibars. The Le Taha’a Private Island Resort & Spa offers various water sporting opportunities, where in the guests can spend an exciting time on motor boats, indulge in rowing, canoeing and kayaking, while also the rich ones can even request for a helicopter and airplane tour of the island. The main attraction of the resort is its spa that offers the guests rejuvenating therapies including aromatherapy and hydrotherapy, which are can be availed on the outside spa stations or indoors, as per the guests’ liking.
3. Â Fregate Island:
Location:Â Seychelles
Widely regarded as one of the foremost and preferred tourist destinations for rich and the famous, Fregate Island is one splendid location that is frequently visited by the rich man Bill Gates for his leisure time. Located some 1,000 miles off the coast of Kenya, Fregate Island encompasses the famous Seychelles Islands and spreads across just 2.19 square kilometers. Known to be a premier luxury travel destination, the island features some of the most bespoke luxury services for the guests, while also providing lavish accommodations in private luxury resorts. The entire island is composed of seven pristine beaches that offer a breathtaking view of the surrounding waters, while being surrounded lush green vegetation. The entire region is accessible by air and there daily international flights for Fregate Island from some of the major cities across the globe. The guests are offered a choice of 16 luxury villas along with a variety of outdoor activities, such as the likes of swimming, snorkeling, deep sea diving etc.
4. Â Wakaya Royal Suite, Wakaya Club:
Location: FijiÂ
The Wakaya Club in Fiji holds a significant importance in the personal life of billionaire Bill Gates, as the he went on for his honeymoon to this gorgeous club with his wife Melinda Gates. The newlywed billionaire couple stayed at the Wakaya Royal Suite, which is also widely regarded as one of the most expensive hotels in Fiji. The luxurious hotel suite offers unmatched serenity and peace while bathing the guests with every type of luxury imaginable. The Wakaya Royal Suite is located at one of the most private regions in Fiji, which is only accessible via air and the suite provides the guests with an assortment of services including scuba diving golf, croquet and tennis and the Wakaya Club also offers all you can eat and drink service for the duration of the stay.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The billionaire Bill Gates though for a long time has been known his intense computer genius and as the CEO of Microsoft Corporation, yet when the husband and wife pair of Bill and Melinda Gates is spoken about, the first thing to come mind is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Set up in the year 1994, the foundation has at its helm Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, where both of them serve as the organization’s co-founder and co-chair. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was primarily set up for the noble cause of reducing poverty and boost healthcare across the globe. The high profile boards of trustees for the organization include investment mogul, Warren Buffet, while the foundation also has the expertise of William H. Gates, Sr., as well as Jeff Raikes. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was initially set up with a budget of $94 million, however, in the year 2000, the organization was merged with the Gates Learning Foundation after which Bill Gates poured in an additional $126 million to the foundation. With an approximate employee base of 927, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation currently operates on an endowment of $37.1 billion, majority of which has been donated by the billionaire Bill Gates himself, thus propelling the foundation to the stature of the world’s largest philanthropic organization.
Bill Gates was recently acknowledged as the most generous person in the world, after it was known that the billionaire tycoon has so far invested $28 billion in philanthropy projects all across the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation achieved a critical success benchmark in the year 2011, when the foundation helped India in eradicating the constantly lingering threat of Polio once and for all. The foundation further announced that it will further be donating $200 million a year for the eradication Polio in other nations namely, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. As of 2012, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been actively pursuing a global initiative for the development of Malaria vaccine, which is currently in the clinical trials phase. In a recent announcement, it was stated that a branch of the foundation that goes by the name of GAVI and focuses on the development and distribution of vaccines has raised $4.3 billion in pledges that would aid in the distribution of vaccines that would prevent the onset of fatal diseases such as the likes of meningitis, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
Besides the Global Healthcare Programs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also been keenly active in the field of poverty eradication. Under its grant program, the foundation donated $5 million to the Financial Access Initiative that will lead the research on micro-finance and come up with new method of providing financial assistance to third world countries. Â A further $3.1 million were donated to one of the biggest micro-finance companies in Latin America, Pro Mujer. The grant is spanned across a duration of five years and will enable the company to invent new methods of improving the micro-finance markets in Latin America so as to provide more lucrative opportunities to the poor and needy.
On the home front, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiated the ‘U.S. Libraries’ program, under which the organization took the responsibility of installing computers, software and provide Internet access to anyone who visited the library. Furthermore, the foundation also donated $12.2 million in grants to the Southeastern Library Network, in an effort to rebuild and refurbish numerous libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi that were ravaged and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.
Bill Gates Quotes
1.  “If I’d had some set idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?”
2.  “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.”
3.  “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
4.  “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
5.  “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”
