Career Timeline of Bill Gates: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bill Gates made an impact.
Bill Gates is an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975. He is recognized as a key figure in the microcomputer revolution and became a billionaire in 1987 after Microsoft's IPO. Gates was consistently ranked as the world's wealthiest person by Forbes for many years, reaching the position of the first centibillionaire in 1999. As of May 2025, his net worth is estimated at $115.1 billion, ranking him among the richest individuals globally.
2 days ago : Gates Foundation Pledges $1.6 Billion to Gavi & Discusses Public Health in Europe
The Gates Foundation committed $1.6 billion to Gavi for vaccine alliance. Bill Gates and Donald Trump also visited Europe to discuss global public health issues and vaccine development, facing tests and challenges.
1970: CCC Closure
In 1970, Computer Center Corporation (CCC) went out of business, ending the arrangement where Gates and others found bugs in CCC's software in exchange for extra computer time.
1973: Enrollment at Harvard College
In 1973, Bill Gates enrolled at Harvard College, taking courses including Math 55 and graduate-level computer science. He dropped out in 1975 to co-found Microsoft.
1974: Summer at Honeywell
During the summer of 1974, Bill Gates joined Paul Allen at Honeywell, maintaining contact and furthering their collaboration.
January 1975: Altair 8800 in Popular Electronics
In January 1975, Bill Gates read the issue of Popular Electronics which demonstrated the Altair 8800, inspiring him and Paul Allen to contact MITS.
November 1975: Gates Joins MITS
In November 1975, Bill Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard to work with Paul Allen at MITS, where they developed Altair BASIC.
1975: Microsoft Co-Founding
In 1975, Bill Gates co-founded the software company Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen, marking a pivotal moment in the microcomputer revolution.
1975: Co-founding of Microsoft
In 1975, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft and assumed a leadership role in the company.
1975: Primary responsibility for Microsoft's product strategy
In 1975, Bill Gates had primary responsibility for Microsoft's product strategy from the company's founding.
1975: Release of MITS Altair 8800
In 1975, with the release of the MITS Altair 8800 based on the Intel 8080 CPU, Gates and Allen saw the opportunity to start their own computer software company and Gates dropped out of Harvard.
February 1976: An Open Letter to Hobbyists
In February 1976, Bill Gates wrote "An Open Letter to Hobbyists" asserting that the unauthorized copying of Microsoft Altair BASIC was undermining the incentive for professional software development.
1977: Ballmer Graduation
In 1977 Steve Ballmer, then President of Microsoft, graduated from Harvard. The Maxwell Dworkin Laboratory of the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is named after the mothers of both Gates and Ballmer.
January 1, 1979: Microsoft Moves to Bellevue
On January 1, 1979, Microsoft relocated from Albuquerque to Bellevue, Washington.
July 1980: IBM Approaches Microsoft
In July 1980, IBM approached Microsoft regarding software for its upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC, leading to the development of PC DOS.
June 25, 1981: Microsoft Re-incorporation
On June 25, 1981, Microsoft underwent a company restructuring, re-incorporating in Washington state with Bill Gates as president and chairman of the board.
1981: Microsoft Incorporation
In 1981, Microsoft was incorporated, and Bill Gates became president and chairman of the board, solidifying his leadership role.
1983: Allen Leaves Microsoft
In early 1983, Paul Allen left Microsoft after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, effectively ending the formal business partnership with Bill Gates.
November 20, 1985: Launch of Microsoft Windows
On November 20, 1985, Microsoft and Bill Gates launched the first retail version of Microsoft Windows to compete with Apple's Macintosh GUI.
1985: Announcement of Excel
In 1985, Bill Gates announced Microsoft Excel and showed his enthusiasm for the program.
August 1986: Partnership with IBM
In August 1986, Microsoft struck a deal with IBM to develop the OS/2 operating system, though the partnership later deteriorated.
1986: Microsoft IPO
In 1986, Microsoft had its initial public offering (IPO), which significantly increased the company's and Gates' financial status.
1987: Meeting Melinda French
In 1987, Bill Gates met Melinda French at a trade fair in New York. She had recently graduated from Duke University and started working at Microsoft.
1987: Listed as billionaire in Forbes magazine
In 1987, Bill Gates was listed as a billionaire in Forbes magazine's first ever America's richest issue. He became the world's youngest-ever self-made billionaire, with a net worth of $1.25 billion in 1987.
1987: Gates Becomes a Billionaire
In 1987, following Microsoft's successful IPO, Bill Gates became a billionaire at the age of 31, then the youngest ever to achieve this milestone.
1989: Last Code Shipped
Bill Gates wrote code that shipped with Microsoft's products as late as 1989, though he was primarily a manager and executive.
1989: Founded Corbis
In 1989, Bill Gates founded Corbis, a digital imaging company.
1989: Foreword to Learn BASIC Now
In 1989, Gates wrote the foreword to the Microsoft Press book Learn BASIC Now by Michael Halvorson and David Rygmyr, discussing the BASIC language and its role in personal computers.
1993: Ranked first on the Forbes 400 list
In 1993, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.
1994: Creation of the William H. Gates Foundation
In 1994, Bill Gates donated some of his Microsoft stock to create the "William H. Gates Foundation", after studying the work of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.
November 1995: Publication of The Road Ahead
In November 1995, Gates co-authored The Road Ahead with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson, discussing the personal computing revolution.
1995: Ranked as the richest person
In 1995, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world on The World's Billionaires list.
January 1996: Gates Computer Science Building Completion
In January 1996, the Gates Computer Science Building was completed on the campus of Stanford University. The building houses the Computer Science Department and the Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL) of Stanford's Engineering department.
1996: Ranked as the richest person
In 1996, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world on The World's Billionaires list.
1997: Purchase of Private Jet
In 1997, Bill Gates, despite his wealth, flew coach until he bought a private jet.
1998: Testimony Against Software Industry Regulation
In 1998, Bill Gates testified before the United States Senate, arguing against the need for regulation of the software industry. He was reportedly upset during the FTC investigation of Microsoft in the 1990s.
1998: Ranked as the richest person
In 1998, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world on The World's Billionaires list.
1999: Wealth surpassed US$100 billion
In 1999, Bill Gates's wealth briefly surpassed US$100 billion, making him the first person to reach this net worth.
1999: Publication of Business @ the Speed of Thought
In 1999, Gates co-authored Business @ the Speed of Thought with Collins Hemingway, discussing the integration of business and technology.
2000: Decline in Microsoft holdings
After 2000, the nominal value of Bill Gates' Microsoft holdings declined, partly because of the decline in Microsoft's stock price after the dot-com bubble burst, and partly because of the multi-billion dollar donations he had made to his charitable foundations.
2000: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair
From 2000, Bill Gates co-chaired the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his then-wife Melinda French Gates, focusing on health, education, and poverty alleviation.
2000: Formation of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
In 2000, Bill Gates and his wife combined three family foundations and donated stock valued at $5 billion to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2000: Transition to Chief Software Architect
In 2000, Bill Gates transitioned from CEO of Microsoft to the role of chief software architect, succeeded by Steve Ballmer.
2000: Ballmer Succeeds as CEO
In 2000, Steve Ballmer, whom Gates met at Harvard, succeeded Gates as Microsoft's CEO.
2004: Became a board member of Berkshire Hathaway
In 2004, Bill Gates became a board member of Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company headed by Warren Buffett.
2005: Interest in Global Sanitation Problems
In 2005, Gates and his foundation took an interest in solving global sanitation problems and announced the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge".
June 2006: Transition Announcement
In June 2006, Bill Gates announced that he would transition out of his role at Microsoft to dedicate more time to philanthropy.
2006: Primary responsibility for Microsoft's product strategy
Bill Gates had primary responsibility for Microsoft's product strategy from the company's founding in 1975 until 2006.
2006: Salary and bonus from Microsoft
In 2006, Microsoft paid Bill Gates a salary of US$616,667 and a bonus of US$350,000, for a total of US$966,667.
2007: Ranked as the richest person
In 2007, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world on The World's Billionaires list.
June 27, 2008: Transition Completion
On June 27, 2008, Bill Gates completed the two-year process of transitioning his responsibilities at Microsoft to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie.
2008: Stepping Down as Chief Software Architect
In 2008, Bill Gates stepped down as chief software architect at Microsoft, further transitioning his role within the company.
2009: Wealth doubled from US$40 billion to US$82 billion
Between 2009 and 2014, Bill Gates' wealth doubled from US$40 billion to US$82 billion.
2009: Ranked as the richest person
In 2009, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world on The World's Billionaires list.
2009: Opening of Gates Center for Computer Science
In 2009, the Gates Center for Computer Science opened at Carnegie Mellon University, funded by a $20 million donation from Bill Gates through his foundation.
March 2010: Second wealthiest person after Carlos Slim
In March 2010, Bill Gates was the second wealthiest person after Carlos Slim.
December 9, 2010: Giving Pledge Commitment
On December 9, 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates, along with Warren Buffett, signed the "Giving Pledge", committing to donate at least half of their wealth to charity over time.
2010: Founding of the Giving Pledge
In 2010, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge, encouraging billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropy.
2011: Emphasis on Clean and Affordable Energy
In 2011, Bill Gates expressed that if he had to choose between picking the next 10 presidents or ensuring environmentally friendly energy at a quarter of the cost, he would prioritize energy.
October 2013: Gates Foundation grant to International Peace Institute
Also in attendance at the March 2013 meeting with Jagland and Epstein were representatives of the International Peace Institute which has received millions in grants from the Gates Foundation, including a $2.5 million "community engagement" grant in October 2013.
2013: Regained top position on Bloomberg Billionaires Index
In 2013, Bill Gates regained the top position as the wealthiest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
February 5, 2014: Gates Leaves Chair of Microsoft
On February 5, 2014, Bill Gates left the chair of Microsoft, handing it over to John W. Thompson.
February 2014: Technology Advisor Role
In February 2014, Bill Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft and became the technology advisor at the firm to support newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella.
March 2014: Rolling Stone Interview on Climate Change, Tech, and America
In March 2014, Bill Gates gave an interview to Rolling Stone magazine. He shared his views on climate change, his philanthropic work, various tech companies and their leaders, and the state of America. Gates also expressed his fear about potential future pandemics or nuclear/bioterrorism events that could cause mass casualties.
June 2014: Carlos Slim regained top position
In June 2014, Carlos Slim regained the top position as the wealthiest person from Bill Gates (but then lost the top position back to Gates).
2014: Stepping Down as Chairman
In 2014, Bill Gates stepped down as chairman of the board at Microsoft, becoming technology advisor to CEO Satya Nadella.
2014: Ranked first on the Forbes 400 list
In 2014, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.
2014: Ballmer's Resignation
In 2014, Steve Ballmer resigned from his position as Microsoft's CEO.
2014: Drinking Water Produced from Human Feces
In 2014, to raise awareness for sanitation and possible solutions, Bill Gates drank water that was "produced from human feces" via the Omni Processor.
March 2015: TED Conference and Pandemic Warning
During the TED conference in March 2015, Bill Gates recommended Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies" and warned that the world was not ready for the next pandemic.
2015: UN Climate Change Conference Initiatives
At the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, Bill Gates announced Mission Innovation, where 20 national governments pledged to double their spending on research and development for carbon-free energy, and Breakthrough Energy, a group of investors to fund high-risk startups in clean energy technologies. Gates personally committed an additional $1 billion to Breakthrough Energy.
2015: On Transitioning to Sustainable Energy
In 2015, Bill Gates wrote about the need for a quicker energy transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources, emphasizing the importance of government funding for basic research and private-sector investment in areas like nuclear energy and solar fuels.
2015: Appearance on The Tonight Show
In early 2015, Bill Gates appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and challenged him to a taste test between reclaimed water and bottled water to highlight sanitation solutions.
April 2017: Match for Africa 4
In April 2017, Bill Gates partnered with Roger Federer in the Match for Africa 4, a tennis match in Seattle that raised $2 million for children in Africa.
October 2017: Surpassed by Jeff Bezos as the richest person
In October 2017, Bill Gates was surpassed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the richest person in the world.
November 2017: Donation to Dementia Discovery Fund
In November 2017, Bill Gates pledged $50 million to the Dementia Discovery Fund and an additional $50 million to start-up ventures for Alzheimer's research.
2017: Ranked first on the Forbes 400 list
In 2017, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.
March 5, 2018: Match for Africa 5
On March 5, 2018, Bill Gates and Roger Federer played in the Match for Africa 5 in San Jose, raising over $2.5 million for charity.
March 2018: Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince
In March 2018, Bill Gates met with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, in Seattle to explore investment opportunities related to Saudi Vision 2030.
June 2018: Free ebooks for graduates
In June 2018, Gates offered free ebooks to new graduates of U.S. colleges and universities.
August 25, 2018: Donation to UNICEF for Kerala Flood Victims
On August 25, 2018, Bill Gates, through his foundation, distributed $600,000 via UNICEF to help flood victims in Kerala, India.
2018: Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates' wealth
In 2018, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates' wealth on The World's Billionaires list.
June 2019: Admission of Mobile Operating System Mistake
In June 2019, Bill Gates stated that losing the mobile operating system race to Android was his biggest mistake, attributing it partially to antitrust litigation at the time.
November 2019: Became the richest person again
In November 2019, Bill Gates once again became the richest person in the world after a 48% increase in Microsoft shares, surpassing Jeff Bezos.
2019: Divestment from Fossil Fuels
In 2019, Bill Gates began to divest from fossil fuels, stating that he did not expect the divestment to have much practical impact, but that he did not want to personally benefit from an increase in fossil fuel stock prices if his efforts to provide alternatives were to fail.
2019: Efforts to Convince Joe Manchin on Climate Bill
Starting in 2019, Bill Gates began working to convince Joe Manchin to support a climate bill, which eventually resulted in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
March 2020: Departure from Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway Boards
In March 2020, Microsoft announced that Bill Gates would be leaving his board positions at Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft to focus on philanthropic work related to climate change, global health and development, and education.
December 2020: Call for Clean Energy Research Institutes
In December 2020, Bill Gates advocated for the U.S. federal government to establish institutes for clean energy research, similar to the National Institutes of Health, and urged rich nations to shift to 100% synthetic beef industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2020: Resignation from Microsoft Board
In 2020, Bill Gates resigned from the board of Microsoft, marking a further reduction in his direct involvement with the company.
2020: Establishment of COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator
In 2020, The Gates Foundation established the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to speed up the development and testing of new and repurposed drugs and biologics for treating COVID-19 patients.
February 2021: Collaboration with Anthony Fauci on COVID-19
As of February 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci were frequently communicating and working together on vaccines and medical innovations to combat the pandemic.
May 2021: Stepping Down Amidst Investigation
In May 2021, it was reported that Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft's board before the completion of an internal investigation into allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a Microsoft employee which had begun in 2019.
June 2021: Announcement of First Sodium Nuclear Reactor in Wyoming
In June 2021, Bill Gates's company TerraPower and Warren Buffett's PacifiCorp announced plans to build the first sodium nuclear reactor in Wyoming, with Wyoming Governor Mike Gordon praising the project as a move toward carbon-negative nuclear power.
2021: Free ebooks for students worldwide
In 2021, Gates offered free ebooks to all college and university students around the world.
2021: Publication of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
In 2021, Gates published How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, presenting his learnings on climate change and investments in addressing it.
July 2022: Wealth Donation Announcement
In July 2022, Bill Gates reiterated his commitment to donate 'virtually all' of his wealth to charity, aiming to eventually 'move off of the list of the world's richest people'.
2022: Support for the Inflation Reduction Act
In 2022, Bill Gates supported the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to cut global greenhouse gas emissions. He had been trying to convince Joe Manchin to support a climate bill since 2019.
2022: Publication of How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
In 2022, Gates published How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, proposing a "Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization" (GERM) team.
2023: Ranked sixth in Forbes 400 list
In the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans in 2023, Bill Gates was ranked sixth with a wealth of $115.0 billion.
February 2025: Publication of Source Code
In February 2025, the first of Gates's planned three memoirs, Source Code, was published.
February 17, 2025: Gates' net worth estimated at US$108.8 billion
As of February 17, 2025, according to Forbes, Bill Gates' estimated net worth stood at US$108.8 billion, making him the 16th richest individual in the world.
2025: $100 Billion in Charitable Donations
In an interview with the BBC in 2025, Bill Gates stated that his charitable donations have reached $100 billion, with $60 billion going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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