February 2026
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Bill Gates Accomplishments
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Three bestselling books, the famous Harvard departure, a reading habit of roughly 50 books a year — these 62 verified entries cover the personal side of Bill Gates: family milestones, speeches, books, and the habits behind the career.
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February 2026
In February 2026 Bill Gates pulled out of delivering a keynote address at a major artificial-intelligence summit in India just hours before he was due on stage, even though he was already in the country and his attendance had been confirmed days earlier. The Gates Foundation said only that, 'to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities,' Gates would not deliver the keynote, and that the Foundation would instead be represented by a senior executive. The withdrawal followed a newly released tranche of Epstein-related files that renewed scrutiny of Gates's past association with the financier. The episode was widely covered as a sign of the reputational pressure the Epstein files were placing on Gates's public engagements.
June 2026
Following its June 2026 interview of Bill Gates, the House Oversight Committee signaled that its Epstein investigation would continue with interviews of other prominent figures connected to the late financier, reportedly including investment manager Leon Black, former Clinton aide Doug Band, and former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley. Additional interviews were said to be possible in July, potentially extending to attorney Alan Dershowitz and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The widening scope underscored that Gates was one of several wealthy and well-connected individuals whose dealings with Epstein the committee sought to document. Gates's own session was conducted behind closed doors, with a transcript to follow.
June 10, 2026
On June 10, 2026, Bill Gates sat for a closed-door interview with the U.S. House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, telling lawmakers that meeting Epstein was 'a grave error in judgment' and that he 'never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct.' Gates said Epstein had tried to use information about Gates's marital infidelities 'to pressure me to re-engage with him' — an attempt Gates described as unsuccessful — and stated he cut off contact in December 2014 after their fundraising discussions stalled. He maintained that his contact with Epstein, which began in 2011, had been aimed at raising money for global health. The interview was not recorded; the committee said it would release a transcript.
February 2026
In February 2026, Bill Gates addressed Gates Foundation staff at an all-hands town hall meeting, apologizing for the distraction and reputational harm caused by renewed coverage of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein following the DOJ document release. According to attendees cited by Reuters and The Guardian, Gates stated he recognized his judgment had been 'badly mistaken' and that he understood why staff felt their work was being overshadowed. He committed to a third-party review of Foundation governance and said he would accept its recommendations.
February 2026
In a February 2026 interview with CBS News — her first extended television interview since the 2021 divorce — Melinda French Gates stated that learning of the full scope of Bill Gates's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein had caused her 'unbelievable sadness' and confirmed it was a key factor in her decision to end the marriage. She said she had first raised the issue with Gates directly after the October 2019 New York Times story. French Gates also praised the DOJ's document release as overdue transparency for Epstein's victims.
January 2026
In January 2026, the United States Department of Justice released approximately 3 million documents from its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking network, including emails, calendars, and financial records referencing Bill Gates's meetings with Epstein between 2011 and 2014. The documents confirmed the timeline reported by The New York Times in 2019, added detail on Epstein's internal communications about cultivating Gates, and showed that Epstein explicitly referenced his relationship with Gates when soliciting other donors and academic institutions. The release renewed public scrutiny of Gates and prompted the Gates Foundation to issue a public statement.
February 2026
Melinda French Gates publicly stated that Bill Gates has to answer for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, in remarks reported weeks after a record $8 billion asset transfer to her following the divorce. Melinda had reportedly confronted Gates about his Epstein meetings — which she learned of through 2019 press coverage — and sources indicated the relationship was a factor in the deterioration of their marriage. Her public comments coincided with new congressional scrutiny of the Gates Foundation and the announcement of an independent board investigation into Epstein-related donations.
October 28, 2025
Bill Gates turned 70 on October 28, 2025, a milestone he marked with public reflection on his life, his legacy, and the next phase of his philanthropy. Saying that reaching 70 — as Microsoft turned 50 — finally prompted him to 'look back a bit,' Gates had published 'Source Code,' the first installment of a planned two-part memoir, earlier in the year. He also signaled a growing personal interest in neuroscience and brain health, shaped in part by his father's experience with Alzheimer's disease. The birthday coincided with Gates's accelerated push to give away nearly all of his fortune before the Gates Foundation's planned closure in 2045.
October 2025
A civil lawsuit filed by seven Dutch plaintiffs who say they were injured by COVID-19 vaccines names Bill Gates alongside former Dutch prime minister and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, members of the Netherlands' COVID-19 Outbreak Management Team, and the Dutch State, alleging they misled the public about vaccine safety. A court in the Northern Netherlands ruled it has jurisdiction to hear the case, allowing the civil proceedings to move forward. Widely shared online claims that Gates had 'lost,' been 'indicted,' or been 'ordered to stand trial in person' are unsupported: fact-checkers note the matter is an unresolved civil suit, not a criminal trial, and that it is unlikely Gates will personally appear. The case had drawn little mainstream coverage despite reaching more than a million views on social media.
February 4, 2025
Gates published his first memoir, 'Source Code: My Beginnings,' covering his childhood in Seattle, early passion for computing, Harvard years, and the founding of Microsoft. The book offered candid reflections on his relationship with his parents, his intensely competitive drive, and the experiences that shaped his worldview. It debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
October 2024
In an October 2024 interview with Brazilian media outlet Agência Brasil, Bill Gates expressed concern about political swings threatening Amazon protection, noting that deforestation in the Amazon risks triggering a 'tipping point' that could turn large sections of rainforest into savannah within decades — with catastrophic consequences for global rainfall patterns and biodiversity. Gates praised Brazil's deforestation enforcement under the current administration but warned that durable forest protection required structural economic alternatives for communities dependent on forest clearing.
January 2024
A trove of documents unsealed in January 2024 from the civil lawsuit Giuffre v. Ghislaine Maxwell — hundreds of pages of depositions, emails, and correspondence — provided additional detail on Epstein's extensive network of associates. The documents referenced interactions within Epstein's circle that overlapped with people connected to Gates, including Boris Nikolic and others within the Gates science and philanthropy networks. The releases renewed public scrutiny of the full scope of the Gates-Epstein relationship.
September 2023
In a September 2023 interview with The Times ahead of his book 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster' press tour, Bill Gates stated that tree-planting campaigns promoted as mass climate solutions were 'complete nonsense' and 'a scam' unless accompanied by rigorous, permanent carbon accounting. Gates argued that the land required to offset global emissions through afforestation would consume an area larger than the continental United States, and that the focus should instead be on zero-carbon energy, green cement and steel, and direct air capture technologies he funds through Breakthrough Energy.

June 16, 2023
Gates met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing during a period of severely strained U.S.-China diplomatic relations. Xi greeted Gates as my old friend and described him as the first American leader to visit China following the deterioration of official bilateral ties. The meeting reflected Gates's long engagement with China on global health issues including polio eradication and COVID-19 response, and his unusual ability to maintain access across geopolitical divides at moments when official diplomacy had largely frozen.

June 16, 2023
Gates met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing during a period of severely strained U.S.-China diplomatic relations. Xi greeted Gates as 'my old friend' and described him as the first American leader to visit China following the deterioration of official bilateral ties. The meeting reflected Gates's long engagement with China on global health issues, including polio eradication and COVID-19 response, and his unusual ability to maintain back-channel access across geopolitical divides.
2022
An Indian court directed Bill Gates, the Serum Institute of India, and government officials to file formal responses to a petition brought by Dilip Lunawat, whose daughter Snehal — a doctor — died in 2021 of complications he attributes to the Covishield (AstraZeneca-formula) COVID-19 vaccine. The High Court of Judicature at Bombay set a hearing and response deadline in the case, which seeks damages. Contrary to recurring viral posts in 2025 and 2026 claiming that 'India is suing Bill Gates,' the matter is a private petition by a bereaved father, not an action brought by the Indian state, and fact-checkers have flagged the 'country sues Gates' framing as misleading. The Serum Institute has maintained that Covishield is safe and effective.
March 2022
In a CBS Mornings interview, Melinda Gates confirmed that Bill Gates's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein had been a contributing factor in their divorce. She stated: 'I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him.' She described having met Epstein once herself, calling the experience deeply disturbing: 'He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards.' Her comments were among the most direct public confirmations that the Epstein connection had damaged their marriage.

May 3, 2022
Gates published a follow-up to his 2015 pandemic warning, outlining a concrete plan for global pandemic preparedness including a permanent international outbreak response team, disease surveillance networks with near-real-time detection, and standing vaccine manufacturing capacity. He estimated the full plan would cost approximately $1 billion per year — describing it as the cheapest insurance policy humanity could buy given the trillions of dollars in economic damage caused by COVID-19.
2021
In his 2021 book 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster', Bill Gates stated explicitly that all rich countries should shift to 100 percent synthetic beef to reduce the methane and land-use emissions from cattle livestock. Gates cited his investments in Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat as evidence the products had become commercially viable and argued consumers 'can get used to' any remaining taste difference. The statement made Gates one of the most prominent public voices calling for a mandated protein transition in developed economies.
2021
Throughout 2021, Bill Gates addressed his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in multiple high-profile media interviews — including with CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and other outlets — consistently expressing regret and maintaining that his meetings were confined to philanthropic discussions. Gates acknowledged the association had caused serious personal and reputational damage. He stated he was unaware of Epstein's criminal conduct and that he accepted responsibility for the poor judgment of entering the relationship.
August 2021
In a CNN interview, Bill Gates described his meetings with Jeffrey Epstein as 'a huge mistake' and said he had met Epstein hoping he could generate 'literally billions of dollars going to global health,' which Gates said proved to be 'a mirage.' He emphasized he had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct and expressed regret for having associated with him. The interview was his most direct and extended public accounting of the relationship.
May 3, 2021
Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce in a joint statement: 'After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.' The couple had been married since January 1, 1994. Both stated they would continue co-chairing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The divorce settlement was finalized in August 2021. Subsequent reporting by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other outlets identified the Epstein relationship as a significant contributing factor.
May 2021
The Wall Street Journal reported that Melinda Gates had met with divorce lawyers in 2019, partly in response to Bill Gates's documented relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The WSJ cited Melinda's discomfort with the Epstein meetings as a significant factor in her decision to explore divorce. The article was published the same week the couple announced their separation, and Melinda later confirmed in a CBS interview that the Epstein relationship had been a contributing factor.
February 2021
In an interview with MIT Technology Review timed to the release of 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,' Gates stated that all wealthy nations should move to 100% synthetic beef, arguing that livestock-derived methane is one of the most potent short-term climate forcing agents and that the rich world can afford to make the transition without risking food security. He acknowledged that the poorest 80 countries would not shift to synthetic meat and that the taste of plant-based alternatives still needed improvement, but said that regulatory pressure and innovation would eventually make synthetic beef indistinguishable from conventional beef in high-income markets.
May 3, 2021
Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage in simultaneous statements on May 3, 2021, stating they had grown apart and no longer believed they could grow together as a couple. Their divorce was finalized in August 2021. Both initially remained co-chairs of the Gates Foundation, though Melinda subsequently resigned in 2024 after receiving $12.5 billion in assets as part of the settlement.
February 16, 2021
Gates published 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,' laying out a comprehensive framework for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and drew wide coverage for its emphasis on hard-to-decarbonize sectors — steel, cement, aviation, and agriculture — that he argued received insufficient attention compared to electricity and transport. Gates called for massive investment in innovation alongside deployment of existing clean technologies.
April 2020
In interviews during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates praised China for making data about the outbreak accessible to the international scientific community and said China had 'done a lot of things right' in its response. He emphasized China's role as a potential partner in vaccine and treatment development. The comments generated debate, with critics noting China's initial delays in disclosing the outbreak's severity to international health authorities.
September 2019
In a September 2019 interview with Axios on HBO following the New Yorker's MIT exposé, Bill Gates stated: 'I wish I hadn't had those dinners' with Epstein and 'I made a mistake in judgment' by engaging with him. Gates maintained that the meetings were solely to explore philanthropic fundraising and that he had not socialized with Epstein in any other context. He defended the Gates Foundation's conduct, stating that no foundation grant had been directed by Epstein and that the relationship had not influenced philanthropic decisions.
October 2019
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and corroborated by CNN, Melinda Gates first consulted divorce lawyers in October 2019 — the same month The New York Times published its detailed investigation of Bill Gates's meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. Melinda told close friends she was troubled and saddened by the extent of the relationship, according to people familiar with her thinking cited by WSJ. Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce in May 2021; Melinda Gates later stated the Epstein association was a factor in her decision.
August 2019
Days before his death in August 2019, Jeffrey Epstein added Boris Nikolic — Bill Gates's longtime Gates Foundation science advisor and personal friend — as an executor of his estate in a last-minute codicil to his will, signed two days before Epstein's death. Nikolic told reporters he was blindsided and would not serve. Nikolic had accompanied Gates on multiple documented meetings with Epstein, including the 2012 Oslo trip and the March 2013 flight on Epstein's jet. The will codicil became evidence in ongoing civil litigation brought by Epstein victims.
2019
Following The New York Times's October 2019 investigation into Bill Gates's meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda Gates consulted divorce attorneys, according to subsequent reporting by The Wall Street Journal published in May 2021. The Epstein coverage was cited alongside other concerns as contributing to the marriage's breakdown. The couple continued working together at the Gates Foundation for another year and a half before publicly announcing their divorce in May 2021.
October 12, 2019
The New York Times published a major investigation documenting that Bill Gates met with Jeffrey Epstein at least six times between 2011 and 2014, including multiple visits to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse where Gates stayed late into the evening. The investigation drew on flight records, email correspondence reviewed by the Times, and interviews with people who attended the meetings. It was the first comprehensive public accounting of the extent of the Gates-Epstein relationship.
August 10, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. The New York City Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as suicide by hanging. Epstein's death triggered immediate public controversy given the high-profile nature of his case and the failure of prison surveillance systems the night he died. Two federal prison guards responsible for watching Epstein were later charged with falsifying records.
August 2019
Following Epstein's arrest and death, Bill Gates acknowledged through a spokesman that he had met with Epstein on several occasions, stating the meetings were solely about philanthropy. Gates said he had hoped Epstein could facilitate large-scale charitable giving but that the relationship had proved fruitless. He said he deeply regretted the association and had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities.
August 2019
Jeffrey Epstein's final will, amended just two days before his death, named Boris Nikolic — Bill Gates's former chief science adviser — as a backup executor of his estate. Bloomberg News reported the designation; Nikolic said he was 'shocked and disturbed' by the news and had no intention of serving. Nikolic had not been in contact with Epstein for years. The revelation underscored the depth of the connections between Epstein's network and Gates's close circle.
July 6, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy, based on evidence that he had operated a trafficking network involving dozens of underage girls over more than two decades. The arrest triggered widespread scrutiny of Epstein's extensive network of wealthy and prominent associates — including his documented meetings with Bill Gates — and prompted major media investigations into who had enabled him.
April 2015
Gates delivered a widely watched TED Talk warning that the world's greatest risk of mass casualties in the coming decades was not a nuclear war but a highly infectious virus for which humanity was unprepared. He called for robust investment in epidemic readiness — health worker training, reserve medical corps, and accelerated vaccine research platforms. The talk has accumulated more than 40 million views and was cited extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic as having directly predicted the crisis years in advance.
March 2015
Gates gave a TED Talk titled 'The Next Outbreak? We're Not Ready,' warning that the world was dangerously underprepared for a global pandemic and that an airborne pathogen could kill tens of millions of people. He called for a permanent international response force, rapid diagnostics, and vaccine manufacturing capacity — investments that did not materialize before COVID-19 emerged in 2020. The talk was viewed hundreds of millions of times after the pandemic began, drawing both praise for his foresight and scrutiny of his influence in global health policy.
October 2014
In late September 2014 Jeffrey Epstein emailed MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito stating that Gates wanted a write-up on a science program, and weeks later Gates informed Ito of a $2 million donation to the Media Lab. The gift was received October 17, 2014. An internal Media Lab email from Ito described it as a gift from Bill Gates directed by Jeffrey Epstein. A Gates spokesperson disputed this characterization. The episode was re-examined after Epstein's 2019 arrest and MIT's investigation found Epstein more deeply embedded in its fundraising than previously disclosed.
September 2013
In September 2013, Bill Gates had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein in New York City, according to reporting by The New York Times based on emails and calendar records. By this date, Epstein had served his 2008 Florida sentence and been registered as a sex offender in multiple states. The dinner was one of several documented in-person meetings between the two men over a three-year period from 2011 to 2014. Gates acknowledged the meetings but said he had been unaware of the full extent of Epstein's crimes.
March 2013
In March 2013, Jeffrey Epstein arranged a private meeting in New York between Bill Gates and two members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, according to NYT reporting. Internal emails quoted in the story show Epstein telling Gates the meeting was intended to improve Gates's profile for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Epstein styled himself as a power broker who could leverage connections to international scientific and political institutions on behalf of his wealthy associates.
March 1, 2013
On March 1, 2013, Bill Gates flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private Gulfstream jet from Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, to Palm Beach, Florida, according to flight records reported by The New York Times. Gates was accompanied by Boris Nikolic. A Gates spokesperson confirmed the flight but said Gates did not know Epstein's plane would be used. The trip post-dated Epstein's 2008 sex-offender conviction by four years and occurred while civil lawsuits from Epstein's victims were ongoing.
2013
Melinda Gates met Jeffrey Epstein on one occasion and later described the experience as deeply disturbing. In a 2022 CBS interview she stated: 'I had one meeting with him. I wanted to see who this man was, and I regretted it from the second I walked in the door. He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards.' She told Bill she was uncomfortable with his continued contact with Epstein.
March 2013
Flight records reviewed by The New York Times documented that Bill Gates flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private Gulfstream jet in March 2013, traveling from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Palm Beach, Florida. The flight was among the evidence used to document the ongoing relationship between the two men. Gates later acknowledged the meetings but stated he had no awareness of Epstein's criminal conduct.
Summer 2013
In summer 2013 Jeffrey Epstein sent his first email to Gates about establishing a donor-advised fund, claiming over $10 billion in art alone that wealthy individuals would donate to a DAF for tax reasons. The correspondence included Gates's top deputies — the head of his family office and the Gates Foundation's general counsel — and featured drafts of the proposed vehicle's structure and promotional materials. The emails were later published as evidence of Epstein's systematic effort to embed himself in Gates's philanthropic infrastructure.
August 2012
In August 2012, Bill Gates traveled to Oslo, Norway, with Jeffrey Epstein — along with Gates Foundation science advisor Boris Nikolic — where they met with Norwegian scientists and businesspeople. Emails reviewed by The New York Times showed that Epstein organized the itinerary. The visit included meetings at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters; Epstein framed the trip as positioning Gates for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination by cultivating the Norwegian scientific community.
2012
Boris Nikolic, Gates's chief science adviser, served as the operational coordinator of Gates-Epstein meetings — rearranging Gates's schedule and facilitating introductions. Email communications from Nikolic during this period, later reviewed by journalists, referenced both the philanthropic meetings and personal social contacts within Epstein's network. After Gates distanced himself from Epstein, Nikolic's central role as facilitator became a significant focus of subsequent investigative reporting.
2012
During their meetings, Jeffrey Epstein proposed establishing a Gates Foundation-backed donor-advised fund he claimed could attract billions of dollars in charitable contributions from ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Gates and his advisers considered the proposal but it was never implemented. Reporting later revealed Epstein used claims of a close relationship with Gates to impress other potential clients and associates, inflating the nature of their actual connection.
May 2011
In May 2011, Bill Gates dined with Jeffrey Epstein, Larry Summers (former Harvard president and Treasury Secretary), and Jes Staley (then JPMorgan Private Bank chief executive) at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse to discuss creating a multibillion-dollar charitable fund that would pool contributions from ultra-wealthy clients introduced by Epstein. According to The New York Times and Bloomberg reporting on Epstein's JPMorgan relationship, Epstein positioned himself as the broker for this philanthropic vehicle. The fund was never established; Jes Staley later faced regulatory action over his relationship with Epstein.
March 2011
In March 2011, Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein interacted at the TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and subsequently scheduled a series of follow-up meetings, according to NYT reporting corroborated by Gates Foundation internal emails reviewed by journalists. The TED encounter deepened the relationship and led to Epstein visiting the Gates Foundation's Seattle headquarters, where he met with programme officers. Gates's office later described these interactions as attempts to use Epstein's access to billionaires to raise philanthropic funding.
January 2011
According to reporting by The New York Times in October 2019, Bill Gates met Jeffrey Epstein for the first time at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse on East 71st Street in January 2011 — two years after Epstein's 2008 Florida conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Gates attended alongside senior Gates Foundation executives including Boris Nikolic (science advisor) and the Foundation's chief financial officer. The meeting was arranged to explore whether Epstein could help Gates and the Foundation solicit large philanthropic contributions from ultra-wealthy donors for global health initiatives.
2011
Bill Gates attended a private dinner at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse on East 71st Street. The New York Times described the event as including Nobel laureates and other guests, with Gates staying late into the evening. This was the first of at least six documented in-person meetings between Gates and Epstein between 2011 and 2014. Gates later said he hoped Epstein could facilitate large-scale philanthropic introductions to wealthy donors.
January 2011
Gates first met convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at a party at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse in January 2011 — more than two years after Epstein's release from a Florida jail following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Epstein had pursued the Gates meeting through an aggressive campaign involving mutual contacts. Gates subsequently met Epstein at least five more times through 2013-2014, including at a conference in Long Beach, a gathering at Epstein's townhouse with Larry Summers, a trip to Palm Beach on Epstein's private jet, and a dinner in New York.
2010
According to reporting by The New York Times, Jeffrey Epstein directed associates to pursue an introduction to Bill Gates through Boris Nikolic, Gates's chief science adviser. Epstein represented himself as a major philanthropist with connections to wealthy donors who could advance Gates's global health initiatives. Nikolic subsequently became the primary intermediary between Gates and Epstein, arranging meetings and coordinating communications over the following years.
2010
Gates launched GatesNotes, a personal blog for sharing reading recommendations, philanthropic thinking, and views on global challenges. The platform became one of the most widely read personal blogs in the world, with annual letters and book reviews regularly trending internationally. In a 2015 TED Talk posted to GatesNotes, Gates warned of an unprepared world facing a deadly pandemic — a prediction that drew enormous renewed attention when COVID-19 emerged five years later.
July 2008
After a two-year gradual transition, Gates formally left his full-time role as Chief Software Architect at Microsoft to devote the majority of his working life to the Gates Foundation. He remained non-executive Chairman of the Board until 2014. Gates later described the transition as the hardest professional decision of his life, saying that the urgency of preventable disease and poverty made continuing as a software executive feel unjustifiable.
June 7, 2007
Gates delivered the commencement address at Harvard University 32 years after leaving without graduating, on the same day the university awarded him an honorary degree. He opened his speech by calling himself 'a bad example as a role model for getting a Harvard degree,' drawing laughter from the crowd. He used the address to urge graduates to apply their educations to problems of global inequity, asking them to measure their lives not by wealth but by the impact they made on people who never had their advantages.
2006
Melanie Walker, a neuroscientist who had worked as Jeffrey Epstein's personal science adviser since the late 1990s, served as a program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and later as a deputy director at Gates's investment firm bgC3. Reporting after Epstein's 2019 arrest revealed the overlapping relationship, raising questions about the information flow between Epstein's network and Gates's organizations. Walker's dual role became one of the most closely examined personal connections between the two men's worlds.
November 1995
Gates published 'The Road Ahead,' offering his vision of how information technology would transform society, commerce, and daily life. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and remained on the list for 18 weeks. A revised second edition was issued in 1996 with expanded coverage of the internet, which Gates had underestimated in the original manuscript — an admission he addressed directly in the new preface.
January 1, 1994
Bill Gates married Melinda French, a Microsoft product manager he had met at a company dinner in 1987, on New Year's Day on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Gates famously chartered every helicopter on the island for the weekend to prevent photographers from accessing the ceremony. Their marriage produced three children — Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe — and became the foundation for decades of shared philanthropic work through the Gates Foundation.
1975
Gates enrolled at Harvard College in 1973, studying mathematics and computer science, before dropping out in his sophomore year to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen. The decision came after Allen showed him a magazine cover story on the MITS Altair 8800 and both men believed the window to commercialize a BASIC interpreter would close if they waited. Gates later said he was always confident he could return to finish his degree, and Harvard awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2007.
1968
At age 13, Bill Gates wrote his first software program — a tic-tac-toe game in BASIC — on a General Electric time-sharing terminal at the Lakeside School in Seattle. The Mothers' Club had sold rummage-sale proceeds to fund the terminal, giving Gates and Paul Allen their first exposure to interactive computing. Gates later recalled that accessing the computer was the pivotal experience that set the direction of his life.
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