“We really achieved the ideal of what I wanted Microsoft to become.” -Bill Gates, June 2008William Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington, United States, on October 28, 1955. His father, William Henry Gates (II) Jr., was a lawyer while his mother, Mary Gates, was a teacher. At an early age, Gates displayed a great amount of intellect. In primary school he was particularly passionate about mathematics and science. Even as a child he enjoyed reading business magazines. Recognizing his passion for learning, his parents enrolled him in Lakeside Preparatory School at the age of 12. Here Gates saw a computer for the first time in his life. Gates, together with his friend Paul Allen, used to spend hours in front of the computer. Sometimes he spent the whole day in the computer room scanning computer books and magazines and developing computer programs. Gates was so engrossed in the computer that he often neglected classes and never prepared his homework on time. In late 1968, Gates and Allen, along with two other school friends, organized a group called the "Lakeside Programmers Group". Gates and Allen had a vision of solving practical problems with the use of computers. They posed an opportunity in 1971 when Information Sciences Inc. commissioned them to develop a program to administer their payroll system. Gates and Allen quickly received many opportunities to demonstrate their computer skills. In 1972 they founded their own company called "Traf-O-Data". They developed a laptop that allowed them to do analysis and organize reports. This netted them a sum of $20,000. An entrepreneur must have a persuasive approach and possess excellent communication skills. This was a key aspect in one of the... half of the document... d one of the 100 people who influenced the 20th century, as well as one of the 100 most influential people of 2004, 2005 and 2006 Considering that so many believe Gates at the highest levels, it is not surprising that in many published definitions of entrepreneur you will find the name Bill Gates followed closely. Gates has also donated more than half of his lifetime earnings to charities and other public entities. organizations. This has helped him achieve not only the status of one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs, but also of a man who ultimately cares about the future of society, which is reflected in the development of new products and technologies, all designed to make us easier life. . His successes teach us that hard work and persistence can bring us success. Bill Gates was an inspirational leader and through his work he inspired many people.