BusinessWeek Logo
Nerdy kid, entrepreneur, tech pioneer, tycoon, philanthropist—all that and more

Nerdy kid, entrepreneur, tech pioneer, tycoon, philanthropist—all that and more

By Burt Helm, with Susann Rutledge and Susan Zegel

Bill Gates's legacy will arguably be one of the most formidable in the last century of American business leaders. BusinessWeek.com takes a look at his life and his work with a company called Microsoft.

Oct. 28, 1955 William Henry Gates III is born into an affluent family in Seattle. The son of a prominent lawyer, Gates attended the prestigious Lakeside School. The high school rented time on an early computer model, which helped spark Gates's avid interest in the machines that would make his name and fortune.