Some people are remembered for the products they create, others for the wealth they earn, and a rare few for the way they choose to give it all back. Bill Gates belongs to that rarest of groups. From a curious teenager tinkering with a school computer in Seattle to becoming one of the most influential technology pioneers of all time, his story reads like a fascinating mix of brilliance, ambition, and generosity. Yet what makes his journey so inspiring is not just the empire he built, but the way he has spent the second half of his life trying to make the world a healthier and fairer place.
Behind the suits, the famous glasses, and the iconic Microsoft legacy is a man who once skipped classes to play with computers, dropped out of Harvard chasing a dream, and now devotes most of his time to fighting diseases, supporting education, and tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. Here are ten genuinely interesting facts about Bill Gates that reveal the curiosity, drive, and quiet kindness behind one of modern history’s most remarkable figures.
1. He Wrote His First Computer Program at Just 13 Years Old
William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, and his fascination with computers began astonishingly early. At just 13 years old, while studying at the prestigious Lakeside School, he wrote his very first computer program — a simple game of tic-tac-toe that allowed users to play against the computer. He was so captivated by programming that he often skipped his math classes just to spend more time on the school’s computer terminal. That early curiosity became the spark that would later ignite the personal computer revolution.
2. He Scored an Almost-Perfect 1590 on the SAT
Bill Gates was a brilliant student from a young age. He famously scored 1590 out of 1600 on his SAT exam, an almost-perfect result that helped him gain admission to Harvard University in 1973. At Harvard, he initially planned to study law to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a respected attorney. However, his deep love for computers eventually pulled him in a different direction, and the world of personal computing became his real calling — though his sharp academic mind continued to shape every step of his journey.
3. He Dropped Out of Harvard to Start Microsoft
In one of the most famous decisions in tech history, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. The two had been inspired by an issue of Popular Electronics magazine featuring the Altair 8800 microcomputer and saw a huge opportunity to write software for these new personal machines. Gates’s parents supported his bold decision, and the company they started in Albuquerque, New Mexico, would go on to transform the entire global technology landscape and put a computer on nearly every desk in the world.
4. He Became the World’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire at Age 31
When Microsoft went public in March 1986, the company’s stock soared, and by the end of that year, Bill Gates officially became a billionaire at the age of 31. At the time, he held the record as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, a remarkable achievement for someone who had just dropped out of college a decade earlier. He went on to top the Forbes list of the world’s richest people for an astonishing 13 consecutive years, from 1995 to 2007, becoming a global symbol of the rise of the technology industry.
5. He Co-Founded the World’s Largest Charitable Foundation
In 2000, Bill Gates and his then-wife Melinda combined their family foundations to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which became one of the largest private charitable foundations in history. The foundation focuses on global health, poverty alleviation, education, and improving access to vaccines and clean water. As of recent years, it has issued tens of billions of dollars in grants worldwide. The foundation has played a major role in fighting diseases like polio, malaria, and tuberculosis, helping save and improve millions of lives across the globe.
6. He Helped Start the Famous “Giving Pledge” With Warren Buffett
In 2010, Bill Gates teamed up with his close friend Warren Buffett to launch The Giving Pledge, a remarkable initiative encouraging the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to donating the majority of their fortunes to charitable causes. Hundreds of billionaires from around the world have since signed the pledge, promising to give away most of their wealth during their lifetimes or in their wills. It has become one of the most influential philanthropic movements in modern history and reflects Gates’s strong belief that wealth carries the responsibility of helping others.
7. He Is an Avid Reader Who Finishes About 50 Books a Year
Despite his extraordinary success and incredibly busy schedule, Bill Gates remains one of the most enthusiastic readers in the world. He reportedly reads around 50 books every single year and famously takes a “Think Week” twice a year, retreating to a quiet cabin to read, reflect, and brainstorm new ideas. His personal blog, Gates Notes, regularly shares book recommendations on topics ranging from science and history to fiction and global health. His love of reading is one of the secrets behind his lifelong curiosity and remarkable thinking.
8. He Has Written Several Best-Selling Books
Beyond reading, Bill Gates is also a celebrated author. He has written several books that have reached audiences across the globe, including The Road Ahead (1995), Business @ the Speed of Thought (1999), How to Avoid a Climate Disaster (2021), and How to Prevent the Next Pandemic (2022). In February 2025, he released the first part of his planned three-volume memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, in which he shared deeply personal stories from his childhood, his early friendships, and the experiences that shaped him into the man the world knows today.
9. He Lives in a High-Tech Mansion Called “Xanadu 2.0”
Bill Gates lives in a famously futuristic mansion overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington, which his biographers nicknamed “Xanadu 2.0.” The home took seven years to design and build and is loaded with smart-home technology that was years ahead of its time. It includes sensors that adjust music and lighting based on personal preferences, a massive private library with a quote from The Great Gatsby engraved into its ceiling, an indoor swimming pool, and a private gym. The mansion is widely considered one of the most fascinating private residences in the world.
10. He Has Pledged to Give Away Almost All of His Wealth
In one of the most generous commitments in modern history, Bill Gates has publicly pledged to give away nearly all of his wealth during his lifetime. He has stated that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will accelerate its giving and aims to distribute its remaining resources by around 2045, after which it plans to wind down its operations. This bold plan reflects his deep belief that money is most powerful when it is actively used to solve big global problems rather than simply accumulated, and it has set a new benchmark for how the world’s wealthiest individuals can choose to live their legacy.
Final Thoughts
Bill Gates’s journey from a curious schoolboy with a love for computers to a global business pioneer and one of the most generous philanthropists of our time is a powerful reminder of what curiosity, hard work, and a sense of purpose can achieve. His story continues to inspire dreamers, technologists, and changemakers to use their talents not just to succeed, but to leave the world a little better than they found it.
