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, renowned as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution. He co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975, leading the company to global dominance in software. Gates became a billionaire at age 31 following Microsoft's IPO in 1986. He was consistently ranked as the wealthiest person globally by Forbes for many years. In 1999, he became the first centibillionaire. As of May 2025, his net worth is estimated at $115.1 billion, ranking him among the world's richest individuals.
1974: Joined Paul Allen at Honeywell
In the summer of 1974, Bill Gates joined Paul Allen at Honeywell.
January 1975: Read About Altair 8800
In January 1975, Bill Gates read the issue of Popular Electronics which demonstrated the Altair 8800, sparking the idea to develop a BASIC interpreter for it.
November 1975: Joined MITS
In November 1975, Bill Gates took a leave of absence from Harvard to work with Paul Allen at MITS, following the successful demonstration of their BASIC interpreter.
1975: Primary Responsibility for Microsoft's Product Strategy
From Microsoft's founding in 1975, Bill Gates had primary responsibility for the company's product strategy until 2006.
1975: Co-founded Microsoft
In 1975, Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen, marking the beginning of their journey in the software industry.
1975: Dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft
In 1975, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to co-found and lead Microsoft.
1975: MITS Altair 8800 Release and Dropped out of Harvard
In 1975, the MITS Altair 8800 was released, which led Bill Gates and Paul Allen to see an opportunity to start their own computer software company, leading Gates to drop out of Harvard.
February 1976: Wrote 'An Open Letter to Hobbyists'
In February 1976, Bill Gates wrote 'An Open Letter to Hobbyists' in the MITS newsletter, addressing the issue of software piracy of Microsoft Altair BASIC and advocating for payment to software developers.
January 1, 1979: Microsoft Moved to Bellevue, Washington
On January 1, 1979, Microsoft moved from Albuquerque to Bellevue, Washington.
July 1980: IBM Approached Microsoft
In July 1980, IBM approached Microsoft about software for its upcoming personal computer, the IBM PC.
June 25, 1981: Microsoft's Restructuring
On June 25, 1981, Bill Gates oversaw Microsoft's company restructuring, becoming the president and chairman of the board.
1981: Became President and Chairman of Microsoft
In 1981, Bill Gates became president and chairman of the board when Microsoft incorporated.
November 20, 1985: Launched Microsoft Windows
On November 20, 1985, Microsoft and Bill Gates launched the first retail version of Microsoft Windows.
1985: Announced Microsoft Excel
In 1985, Bill Gates announced Microsoft Excel.
August 1986: Deal with IBM to Develop OS/2
In August 1986, Microsoft struck a deal with IBM to develop a separate operating system called OS/2.
1986: Microsoft's IPO
In 1986, Microsoft had its initial public offering (IPO), which significantly increased Gates's wealth.
1987: Personifies Microsoft
By 1987, Computerworld quoted an industry observer who said "Bill personifies Microsoft, and hotshots want to work for him".
1987: Listed as a Billionaire
In 1987, Bill Gates was listed as a billionaire in Forbes magazine's first America's richest issue. He was the world's youngest-ever self-made billionaire, with a net worth of $1.25 billion.
1989: Founded Corbis
In 1989, Bill Gates founded Corbis, a digital imaging company.
1989: Wrote code shipped with company's products
In 1989, Bill Gates wrote code that shipped with Microsoft's products, marking one of his last contributions to product development as an active coder.
1989: Foreword to Learn BASIC Now
In 1989, Bill Gates wrote the foreword to the Microsoft Press book Learn BASIC Now by Michael Halvorson and David Rygmyr, reflecting on the growth of the BASIC language.
1993: Ranked First on Forbes 400 List
In 1993, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, a position he held until 2007.
1994: Creation of William H. Gates Foundation
In 1994, Bill Gates donated some of his Microsoft stock to create the "William H. Gates Foundation."
November 1995: Publication of The Road Ahead
In November 1995, Bill Gates, along with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson, published "The Road Ahead", summarizing the impact of the personal computing revolution.
1995: World's Richest Person
In 1995, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world.
January 1996: Gates Donates to Stanford University
In January 1996, Gates donated $6 million to the construction of the Gates Computer Science Building on the campus of Stanford University, housing the Computer Science Department and the Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL).
1996: World's Richest Person
In 1996, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world.
1998: Gates Rejects Software Industry Regulation
In 1998, Bill Gates testified before the United States Senate, rejecting the need for regulation of the software industry.
1998: World's Richest Person
In 1998, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world.
1998: United States v. Microsoft Case Deposition
In 1998, during the United States v. Microsoft case, Bill Gates gave deposition testimony that was characterized as evasive by several journalists. He argued with examiner David Boies over the contextual meaning of words, and the judge was seen laughing when portions of the videotaped deposition were played back in court.
1999: First Centibillionaire
In 1999, Bill Gates became the first centibillionaire when his net worth briefly exceeded $100 billion.
1999: Donation to MIT for Computer Laboratory
In 1999, Bill Gates donated $20 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the construction of the "William H. Gates Building", a computer laboratory designed by architect Frank Gehry.
1999: Wealth Surpasses $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, Bill Gates, in collaboration with Collins Hemingway, published "Business @ the Speed of Thought", which discusses the integration of business and technology.
2000: Co-Chaired the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
From 2000, Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda French Gates co-chaired the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable organization.
2000: Transitioned to Chief Software Architect
In 2000, Steve Ballmer succeeded Bill Gates as CEO of Microsoft, and Gates transitioned to the role of chief software architect.
2000: Ballmer Became Microsoft CEO
In 2000, Steve Ballmer succeeded Bill Gates as Microsoft's CEO.
2004: 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
Since 2005, Bill Gates and his foundation have shown an interest in solving global sanitation problems, marked by the announcement of the "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge".
June 2006: Announced Transition out of Microsoft Role
In June 2006, Bill Gates announced his transition out of his day-to-day role at Microsoft to focus more on philanthropy.
2006: End of Responsibility for Microsoft's Product Strategy
In 2006, Bill Gates ended his role as the primary person responsible for Microsoft's product strategy since the company's founding in 1975.
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 First on Forbes 400 List & World's Richest Person
In 2007, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list and was also considered the richest person in the world, maintaining this position until 2018.
June 27, 2008: Completed Transition out of Microsoft Role
On June 27, 2008, Bill Gates completed the two-year process of transitioning out of his day-to-day role at Microsoft, fully transferring his responsibilities to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie.
2008: Stepped Down as Chief Software Architect
In 2008, Bill Gates stepped down as chief software architect at Microsoft.
2009: World's Richest Person & Ranked First on Forbes 400 List
In 2009, Bill Gates was ranked as the richest person in the world and also topped the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans.
2009: Opening of Gates Center for Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon
In 2009, the Gates Center for Computer Science, funded by a $20 million donation from Bill Gates through his foundation, opened at Carnegie Mellon University.
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: Founded 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: Gates on Energy and Leadership
In 2011, Bill Gates expressed that he would prioritize ensuring environmentally friendly and affordable energy over choosing the next 10 presidents, highlighting the critical importance of energy solutions.
October 2013: International Peace Institute Grant
In October 2013, the International Peace Institute received a $2.5 million "community engagement" grant from the Gates Foundation.
2013: Regained Top Position
In 2013, Bill Gates regained the top position as the wealthiest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
February 5, 2014: Gates Left Chair of the Firm
On February 5, 2014, Bill Gates left the chair of Microsoft to John W. Thompson.
February 2014: Became Technology Advisor at Microsoft
In February 2014, Bill Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft and became technology advisor at the firm to support newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella.
March 2014: Gates Interview in Rolling Stone Magazine
In March 2014, Bill Gates discussed climate change, charitable activities, tech companies, and the state of America in an interview published in Rolling Stone magazine. He expressed concern about potential future pandemics or nuclear/bioterrorism causing mass casualties, and identified innovation as the key to progress.
2014: Stepped Down as Chairman of the Board
In 2014, Bill Gates stepped down as chairman of the board at Microsoft and became technology advisor to CEO Satya Nadella.
2014: Ranked First on Forbes 400 List
In 2014, Bill Gates was ranked first on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, a position he held until 2017.
2014: Ballmer Resigned as Microsoft CEO
In 2014, Steve Ballmer resigned as Microsoft's CEO.
2014: Gates Drinks Water Produced from Human Feces
In 2014, to raise awareness for sanitation solutions, Bill Gates drank water produced from human feces, processed through the Omni Processor.
March 2015: Gates Recommends "Superintelligence" at TED Conference
During a TED conference in March 2015, Bill Gates recommended Nick Bostrom's book "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies." He also warned that the world was unprepared for the next pandemic during the conference.
2015: Gates on Energy System Transition
In 2015, Bill Gates wrote about the challenge of transitioning the world's energy system from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources, emphasizing the need for increased government funding and private-sector investment in diverse areas such as nuclear energy, grid energy storage, and solar fuels.
2015: Gates Announces Initiatives at UN Climate Change Conference
In 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, Bill Gates spearheaded Mission Innovation, where 20 national governments pledged to double spending on carbon-free energy R&D. He also launched Breakthrough Energy, a group of investors who agreed to fund high-risk clean energy startups, committing an additional $1 billion of his own money.
2016: Received Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2016, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates were jointly awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their philanthropic work.
April 2017: Match for Africa 4
In April 2017, Bill Gates partnered with Roger Federer in playing in the Match for Africa 4, a noncompetitive tennis match in Seattle to support the Roger Federer Foundation's charity efforts in Africa. They raised $2 million for children in Africa.
November 2017: Donation to Dementia Discovery Fund
In November 2017, Bill Gates announced a $50 million donation to the Dementia Discovery Fund, aiming to find treatments for Alzheimer's disease, along with an additional $50 million for Alzheimer's research start-ups.
2017: Ranked First on 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. Gates and Federer won the match by a score of 6–3.
March 2018: Gates Meets with Mohammed bin Salman
In March 2018, Bill Gates met with Mohammed bin Salman in Seattle to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.
June 2018: Free ebooks offered to US Graduates
In June 2018, Bill Gates offered free ebooks to all new graduates of U.S. colleges and universities.
August 25, 2018: Donation to Kerala flood victims
On August 25, 2018, Bill Gates, through his foundation, distributed $600,000 via UNICEF to help flood victims in Kerala, India.
June 2019: Gates Admits Mobile OS 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: Regained Richest Person Title
In November 2019, Bill Gates once again became the richest person in the world after a 48% increase in Microsoft shares, surpassing Bezos.
2019: Gates Begins Divesting from Fossil Fuels
In 2019, Bill Gates started to divest from fossil fuels, stating that while divestment itself may not have a significant impact, he would not want to personally benefit from fossil fuel stock price increases if his efforts to provide alternatives failed.
2019: Gates Convinces Manchin on Climate Bill
Starting in 2019, Gates tried to convince Joe Manchin to support a climate bill. He continued his efforts in the months leading up to the adoption of the bill.
March 2020: Gates Leaves 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, development, and education.
December 8, 2020: Gates Speaks at Singapore FinTech Festival
On December 8, 2020, Bill Gates spoke at the Singapore FinTech Festival, discussing building infrastructure for resilience and applying lessons from the COVID-19 response to scale financial inclusion.
December 2020: Gates Calls 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. He also urged rich nations to transition to 100% synthetic beef industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2020: Resigned from Microsoft's Board
In 2020, Bill Gates resigned from the board of Microsoft.
2020: Gates's Foundation Establishes COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator
In 2020, the Gates Foundation established the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to expedite the development and evaluation of drugs and biologics for COVID-19 treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates has been looked at as an expert.
February 2021: Gates Collaborates with Anthony Fauci on Pandemic Matters
As of February 2021, Bill Gates and Anthony Fauci frequently collaborated on matters including vaccines and other medical innovations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 2021: Gates Steps Down Amidst Investigation
In May 2021, it was reported that Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft's board before the completion of an investigation into an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship with a Microsoft employee, which began in late 2019.
June 2021: TerraPower Announces Sodium Nuclear Reactor in Wyoming
In June 2021, Bill Gates's company, TerraPower, and Warren Buffett's PacifiCorp, announced the first sodium nuclear reactor in Wyoming, hailed as a step toward carbon-negative nuclear power.
2021: Free eBooks offered to Students Worldwide
In 2021, Bill Gates offered free ebooks to all college and university students around the world.
2021: Publication of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
In 2021, Bill Gates published "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster", presenting insights from his study of climate change and investments in related innovations.
July 2022: Reiterating Commitment to Charity
In July 2022, Bill Gates reiterated his commitment to giving 'virtually all' his wealth to charity, aiming to move off the list of the world's richest people.
2022: Gates Supports Inflation Reduction Act
In 2022, Bill Gates supported the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions significantly. He thanked Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer for their efforts, calling the Act a potentially crucial piece of climate legislation.
2022: Publication of How to Prevent the Next Pandemic
In 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Gates published "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic", proposing a "Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization" (GERM) team.
February 2025: Publication of Source Code
In February 2025, the first of Bill Gates's planned three memoirs, "Source Code", was published.
2025: Gates's Charitable Donations Total $100 Billion
In an interview with the BBC in 2025, Bill Gates stated that his charitable donations have totalled $100 billion, with $60 billion going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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