Challenges in the Life of Bill Gates in a Detailed Timeline

Life is full of challenges, and Bill Gates faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

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.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1998: United States v. Microsoft case

In the 1998 United States v. Microsoft case, Bill Gates gave deposition testimony that several journalists characterized as evasive. He argued with examiner David Boies over the contextual meaning of words such as "compete", "concerned", and "we".

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.

2007: Criticism of Foundation Investments

In 2007, the Los Angeles Times criticized the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for investing its assets in companies accused of worsening poverty and pollution. Although a review was announced, it was later canceled, and the foundation upheld its policy of investing for maximum return.

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).

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.

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.

May 3, 2021: Announcement of Divorce

On May 3, 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their decision to divorce after more than 27 years of marriage.

August 2, 2021: Divorce Finalized

On August 2, 2021, the divorce between Bill and Melinda Gates was finalized, with financial details remaining confidential.

September 2022: Politico Exposé Critical of NGO Leadership

In September 2022, Politico, in cooperation with Die Welt, published an exposé critical of NGO leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, including concerns about the interconnectivity of nonprofits with Gates and his lack of medical credentials.