💡 Did you knowCo-founder of Microsoft
How Old is Bill Gates?
Co-founder of Microsoft — live age, birthday and a short biography.
70 years old
Born October 28, 1955 · 70 years, 11 months, 5 days
Quick biography
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. At Lakeside School he discovered computers and met Paul Allen, his future business partner. He enrolled at Harvard in 1973 but left in 1975 to co-found Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Microsoft’s MS-DOS and later Windows operating systems made it the dominant personal-computer software company in the world. Gates served as CEO until 2000, then as chief software architect, and stepped down from Microsoft’s board in 2020. In 2000 he and Melinda French Gates founded the Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, focused on global health and poverty.
In 1998 the U.S. government brought a landmark antitrust case against Microsoft over its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows; the company eventually settled in 2001. Gates stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2008 to focus on philanthropy, and in 2015 he launched Breakthrough Energy, which funds technologies aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.
Career highlights
- ✦1975 — Co-founds Microsoft with Paul Allen.
- ✦1985 — Microsoft releases Windows 1.0.
- ✦1995–2017 — Regularly ranked the world’s richest person.
- ✦2000 — Founds the Gates Foundation.
- ✦2000 — Steps down as Microsoft CEO.
- ✦2020 — Steps down from Microsoft’s board.
- ✦1998–2001 — Landmark U.S. antitrust case against Microsoft.
- ✦2015 — Launches Breakthrough Energy for climate technology.
Personal life in brief
Gates has three children and is a famously avid reader, writing about books and ideas on his long-running blog, Gates Notes. Since leaving Microsoft’s board in 2020 he has devoted himself full-time to the foundation’s work and to writing about global health, energy and education.
Legacy & influence
Gates helped put a computer on nearly every desk, then pioneered a new model of large-scale philanthropy: applying business-style measurement to saving lives. The Giving Pledge he launched with Warren Buffett has inspired hundreds of billionaires to commit the majority of their wealth to charity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bill Gates?
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955. This page shows his exact live age in years, months and days, recalculated every day from the verified date of birth — so the number is always up to date.
When was Bill Gates born?
Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington.
What is Bill Gates best known for?
He co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and later became one of the world’s leading philanthropists through the Gates Foundation.
Did Bill Gates finish college?
No. Gates left Harvard University in 1975 to co-found Microsoft, and later received an honorary degree from the university.
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC licenses). Age calculated live from a verified date of birth. By PagalHo Tools Team.