William Henry Gates III is an American businessman and philanthropist. A pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, he co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Following Microsoft's initial public offering in 1986 and the subsequent increase in its stock price, Gates became the world's then-youngest billionaire in 1987, at age 31. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's wealthiest person in their The World's Billionaires list for 18 out of 24 years between 1995 and 2017, including 13 years consecutively from 1995 to 2007. Gates became the first centibillionaire in 1999, when his net worth briefly surpassed US$100 billion. According to Forbes, as of July 2026, his net worth stood at US$106.5 billion, making him the 19th-wealthiest individual in the world.
Bill Gates, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Microsoft
On October 28, in the year 1955, Bill Gates, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Microsoft. This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of October 28, one of 451 recorded events on this date across all of history.
1 notable person is associated with this event, including Bill Gates. Learn more below.
Key Facts
- This event took place on October 28, 1955 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
- 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 9 October 2026.
On This Date in History 451
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
People Involved
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