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, most famous for co-founding Microsoft with Paul Allen. He held various leadership roles within the company, including CEO and chief software architect, and was its largest individual shareholder for many years. Gates is recognized as a pivotal figure in the microcomputer revolution during the 1970s and 1980s, shaping the landscape of modern computing.

Sections (6)

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

1981: Reputation for being distant

In 1981, Bill Gates gained a reputation for being distant from others; an industry executive complained that "Gates is notorious for not being reachable by phone and for not returning phone calls."

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.

2000: Microsoft holdings declined

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.

March 2010: Second wealthiest person

In March 2010, Bill Gates was the second wealthiest person after Carlos Slim.

June 2014: Slim regained top position

In June 2014, Carlos Slim regained the top position as the wealthiest person, surpassing Bill Gates, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

October 2017: Surpassed by Jeff Bezos

In October 2017, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world.

2018: Surpassed in wealth by Jeff Bezos

In 2018, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates' wealth on The World's Billionaires list.

June 2019: Admission of Mobile OS Mistake

In June 2019, Bill Gates stated that losing the mobile operating system race to Android was his biggest mistake.

April 2021: Criticism for Vaccine Patent Stance

In April 2021, Bill Gates was criticized for suggesting pharmaceutical companies should hold onto patents for COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, raising concerns about access for poorer nations.

September 2022: Politico Expose on NGO Leadership

In September 2022, Politico published an exposé, in cooperation with Die Welt, critical of NGO leadership's COVID-19 pandemic response, highlighting the interconnectivity of these non-profits with Bill Gates and his lack of formal credentials in medicine.