Bill Gates

Bill Gates, the co-founder and chairman of the Microsoft Corporation, has certainly reached legend status and not only because he is considered as the world's richest man. As the moving force behind a company that is considered "The Most Innovative Company Operating in the U.S." (1993, Forbes magazines), Gates is certainly in a league of his own. With Gates at the helm, Microsoft launched a number of revolutionary technological advancements that have changed the face of the computer industry and the way people around the world use computers.

History has acknowledged Microsoft's great contributions and has judged Mircrosoft to be the first truly dominant player in home computer operating systems. Even today, Microsoft's influence is felt around the world through the broad usage of Microsoft Windows, currently the most widely used operating system in the world.

Gates first made his mark as is widely regarded as the prime mover and innovator behind the Microsoft Corporation from the time it was founded in 1975 until 2006. As the man responsible for product strategy, Gates greatly expanded Microsoft's product lines and established as well as defended the leadership position in many of its key areas of operation. Gates has not been perfect as some of his decisions have led to antitrust litigation over Microsoft's business practices. But his reputation as one of the most popular and respected entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution is unquestioned. Gates is actually one of those men who is larger than his area of expertise. To illustrate this point, New Statesman magazine voted Gates as number eight among the "Heroes of Our Time."

Of late, Gates has been delegating many of his key functions in Microsoft. He announced last June that he would be naming someone else as the head of operations of Microsoft by July 2008 although he did say that he will still sit as the company's chairman and as an advisor on special projects. Sources say that the leading candidate to succeed Gates as operations hear is Ray Ozzie, former president of the Groove company, which Microsoft purchased in 2005.

His latest focus has been in the area of philanthropy through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some sources in the press estimate that Gates has probably contributed over half his fortune to charity.