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Bill Gates Net Worth

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Bill Gates Net Worth

What is Bill Gates’ net worth?

Net Worth:$113 Billion
Age:69
Born:October 28, 1955
Gender:Male
Height:1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Country of Origin:United States of America
Source of Wealth:Founder of Microsoft
Last Updated:Oct 30, 2024

Bill Gates is an American entrepreneur, computer programmer, and founder of Microsoft with an estimated net worth of $113 Billion.

Gates’ shares in the company made him one of the wealthiest men in the world and, for an extended time, the richest man globally. He co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975, and it has since become the largest PC software company in the world.

 

Quick Facts

  • He was born as William Henry Gates III on October 28th, 1955.
  • He started programming when he was in his teens.
  • Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft, a computer software company, in 1975 after dropping out of Harvard.
  • In 1977, Microsoft opened its first international office in Japan.
  • In 1985, the first retail version of Microsoft Windows was released.
  • Gates became a billionaire in 1987.
  • In 1994, Bill Gates and Melinda French got married.
  • In 2008, Gates resigned as CEO to focus on working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which he founded with his wife.

 

Early Life

Bill Gates was born on the 28th of October 1955 in Seattle, Washington.

He is the son of William H. Gates Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates. The Gates family highly encouraged competition. It didn’t matter what it was; there was always a reward for winning and a penalty for losing.

When Bill was 13 years old, he joined the Lakeside School. When he was in the eighth grade, the Mothers’ Club at the school used the proceeds to purchase a Teletype Model 33 ASR terminal and a block of computer time on a General Electric (GE) computer for the school’s students.

Gates became interested in programming the GE system in BASIC and was excused from math classes to pursue his interest. It was on that machine that he programmed his first software program—a game of tic-tac-toe that allowed the players to compete against the computer.

The Computer Center Corporation (CCC), eventually banned Gates for the summer, after it caught him and three friends exploiting bugs in the operating system to obtain free computer time.

The four students formed the Lakeside Programmers Club to earn some money. At the end of the ban, they offered to find bugs in CCC’s software in exchange for computer time. This was when Gates began to study coding. It was also during this time that he coded the school’s class scheduling system. Initially, he did it together with Kent Evans, but unfortunately, he was killed in a mountain climbing accident at the end of their junior year, so Allen stepped in.

During their senior year, Allen and Gates founded their first company, Traf-O-Data. They made traffic counters on the Intel 8008 processor.

In 1973, he was accepted into Harvard. During his university journey, he developed the BASIC programming language for the world’s first PC – the MITS Affair.

However, Gates dropped out just a few years later without finishing his degree so that he and Paul Allen could focus on founding Microsoft.

 

Career

Bill Gates' Career

Gates’ career started a little bit sneakily. He contacted MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems), saying that he and others were working on a BASIC interpreter for them. In reality, however, they didn’t even start coding it. They just wanted to spark their interest.

Once the demo date was settled, Gates and others developed an Altair emulator that ran on a microcomputer and the primary interpreter. The presentation was successful, and the interpreter was distributed as Altair BASIC. Their partnership was named “Micro-Soft.”

In 1976, they dropped the hyphen and became just Microsoft, trademarking the name. In the same year, they became independent from MITS.

In 1985, Gates and Allen launched the first retail version of Microsoft Windows. When Bill and Paul Allen started Microsoft, they had a vision of putting a computer in every home. At the time, that vision seemed way too ridiculous.

The company became really successful from the start. Just two years after its founding, Bill Gates and Paul Allen opened their first international office in Japan. They also relocated from Albuquerque to Washington.

Although his vision seemed impossible to achieve at the time, it has become a reality in many parts of the world today, and personal technology is an integral part of society.

His dedication to the company’s success is definitely something to admire—for the first few years, Gates personally reviewed every single line of code that they shipped, and if necessary, he also rewrote it.

Bill is passionate about Microsoft’s work and will always be involved with the company, including his present role as a member of the board and technology advisor. However, he left his position as Microsoft CEO in 2008. He continued to be Microsoft’s Chairman until 2020.

These days, Bill focuses most of his time on his and his ex-wife’s work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which aims to improve global health, medical research, education, and gender equality.

People are often surprised to hear him say that this work has many similarities with his work at Microsoft.

In both cases, he brings together intelligent people and collaborates with them to solve big, challenging problems.

 

Estimated Net Worth

In 2024, Bill Gates’ net worth is $113 Billion.

 

Bill Gates’ Net Worth Over Time

YearNet Worth
2009$40 Billion
2010$53 Billion
2011$56 Billion
2012$61 Billion
2013$67 Billion
2014$76 Billion
2015$79.2 Billion
2016$75 Billion
2017$86 Billion
2018$90 Billion
2019$96.5 Billion
2020$98 Billion
2021$124 Billion
2022$129 Billion
2023$104 Billion
2024$124.8 Billion

 

Personal Life

Gates married Melinda French, now Melinda Gates, in 1994 on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai. She was a Microsoft employee working in the product development division. She and Gates met at one of the company’s dinners, and soon enough, Gates asked her out.

Melinda continued to work for Microsoft until 1996, eventually becoming the General Manager of Information Products.

The couple has three children: Phoebe Adele, Rory John, and Jennifer Katharine. In 2021, they announced their separation after nearly thirty years together.

Despite being divorced, they continue to be co-chairs of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was founded in 2000 after he and his wife combined three family foundations. At the time, it was the world’s largest transparently operated charitable foundation.

In 2010, Gates and his wife, investor Warren Buffett, signed a document they called the Giving Pledge, in which they promised to give at least half of their wealth to charity over time.

 

Highlights

Here are some of the main highlights of Bill Gates’ career:

  • Enrolled at Lakeside School, where he first used a computer (1967)
  • Began programming with Paul Allen in the computer center (1968)
  • Entered Harvard University (1973)
  • Founded Microsoft with Paul Allen (1975)
  • Created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2002)
  • Bill helped launch TerraPower, aiming to provide the world with a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy (2006)
  • Bill Launched a $5.5 Billion effort to eliminate Polio by 2018 (2013)

 

How Does Bill Gates Spend His Money?

With all that money available to him, you might wonder, “How does billionaire Bill Gates spend his wealth?” While he agreed to give all his wealth (or at least half of it away) by signing the Giving Pledge, there are some things that the Microsoft co-founder splurged on.

Bill Gates owns an impressive compound in Medina, close to Lake Washington. Gates purchased it in 1998 for $2 million; as of today, the property is worth more than $120 million. Some amenities you can find there include a 60 square foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a 2500 square foot gym, and a 1,000 square foot dining room.

He also has a property in California, the 228-acre Rancho Paseana, which includes a racetrack and five barns.

Gates reportedly owns a private jet – the Bombardier BD-700 Global Express, worth about $40 million.

His fortune is managed by Cascade Investment, a holding company created using the proceeds from Microsoft stock sales and dividends. Gates used it to make numerous investments, including partial ownership of the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco (with several other unnamed buyers). According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates owns almost half of the Four Seasons Holdings’ hotel chain.

The company owns stakes in several publicly traded companies, such as the Canadian National Railway. Finally, Gates launched a $1 billion investment fund called “Breakthrough Energy” with several others.

 

How did Bill Gates become rich?

Bill Gates’s net worth mainly comes from being the co-founder of Microsoft and Microsoft shares.

 

Is Bill Gates the wealthiest person in the world?

No. Currently, there are a few other people who have an estimated net worth higher than Bill Gates – for example, Amazon founder – Jeff Bezos. However, he was the wealthiest person in the world on several occasions (often uninterrupted), mainly between 1997 and 2008.

 

Is Bill Gates married?

Bill Gates is not married at the moment. He is actually divorced, as in 2021, he and his now ex-wife Melinda Gates announced that they would be separating after almost three decades together. Despite the divorce, they are still co-chairing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

How does Bill Gates spend his free time?

The Microsoft co-founder likes to spend his free time playing and watching tennis. He’s also an avid reader and has quite an extensive book collection.

 

What do you think about Bill Gates’ net worth? Leave a comment below.

Dan Western is a British journalist with a decade's worth of experience in researching financial information of the world's most influential people.

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Entrepreneurs

Carlos Ghosn Net Worth

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Carlos Ghosn Net Worth

What is Carlos Ghosn’s net worth?

Net Worth:$120 Million
Age:70
Born:March 9, 1954
Gender:Male
Height:1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Country of Origin:Brazil
Source of Wealth:Entrepreneur
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2024

Introduction 

Carlos Ghosn is a Brazilian-born French businessman with an estimated net worth of $120 Million. 

Ghosn is best known for being the CEO of Michelin North America, Renault, AvtoVAZ, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors.

 

Career Overview

After graduating from the École des Mines de Paris in 1978, Carlos Ghosn worked for Michelin for 18 years. At first, he trained and worked at several plants throughout France and Germany before becoming a manager in Le Puy-en-Velay, France. 

In 1984, Ghosn became the head of research and development and, a year later, was named the COO of the company’s operations in South America. 

Ghosen moved to Rio de Janeiro, where the business had become unprofitable due to Brazil’s hyperinflation. Tasked with turning things around, Ghosen rose to the challenge with success and was named the president and COO of Michelin North America in 1989. 

 

Rising Through The Ranks

In 1990, Carlos Ghosn became the CEO of Michelin North America and oversaw the company’s restructuring after purchasing Uniroyal Goodrich Tyre Company. 

Six years later, Ghosn was elected Vice President of research, purchasing, development, and manufacturing at Renault, a French auto manufacturer. Under his guidance, Renault became exceptionally profitable, which led to Renault and Nissan forming the Renault-Nissan Alliance in 1999. 

While maintaining his previous roles, Ghosn became Nissan’s COO and was named president in 2000 and CEO in 2001. Ghosn turned Nissan’s sinking profits around with his “Nissan Revival Plan,” which reduced the company’s debt by 50% by 2002. To do this, he cut 14% of jobs, shut down five Japanese plants, and auctioned off assets, including the company’s aerospace division. 

In 2005, he became Renault’s president and chief executive, making him the first person to run two Fortune 500 companies simultaneously. While not as wealthy as the richest people in America, Ghosn’s business strategies for success were undeniable, even if some people disagreed with his methods.

 

Ghosn’s Recent Business Deals

Carlos Ghosn became the chairman of GM in 2005, following a merger between the company and Renault and Nissan. Ford offered to allow Ghosn to lead the company the following year, but he refused, stating he’d have to be made both CEO and chairman. 

In 2007, Ghosn pushed Renault-Nissan into the electric car market, which helped make it the world leader in electric vehicles by 2017. Soon after, he was named the deputy chairman of the Russian auto manufacturer AvtoVAZ and, in 2013, became the company’s chairman. 

After a long tenure, Ghosn stepped down as CEO of Nissan in 2017 while remaining chairman and was succeeded by Saikawa Hiroto. However, the year before, Ghosn had become chairman of Mitsubishi Motors following Nissan’s acquisition of a 34% stake in the company. 

At Mitsubishi, Ghosn’s goal was to rehab the automaker, though he was removed from his post in 2018 after his arrest over false accounting allegations. After that, Ghosn’s affairs began to fall apart, and by the end of 2019, he was still imprisoned. 

In late 2019, he was able to post bail and quickly left Japan for Lebanon, where he continues his legal battles today.

 

Carlos Ghosn Net Worth

In 2024, Carlos Ghosn’s net worth is estimated to be $120 Million. 

 

What do you think about Carlos Ghosn’s net worth? Leave a comment below. 

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Entrepreneurs

Rich Barton Net Worth

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Rich Barton Net Worth

What is Rich Barton’s net worth? 

Net Worth:$2.1 Billion
Age:57
Born:June 2, 1967
Gender:Male
Height:Unknown
Country of Origin:United States of America
Source of Wealth:Entrepreneur
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2024

Introduction 

Rich Barton is an American entrepreneur and CEO of Zillow Group with an estimated net worth of $2.1 Billion. 

Barton has founded multiple companies, including online travel company Zillow, job search engine Glassdoor, and photography site Trover. Barton was a venture partner at Benchmark and is on the board of directors for Netflix, Avvo, Nextdoor, and Artsy.

 

Career Overview

After graduating from Stanford University with an engineering degree, Rich Barton started working for the Alliance Consulting Group in 1989. 

In 1991, he left and began working for Microsoft as a project manager for the operating system MS-DOS 5.0. While working for Microsoft, Barton founded the travel site Expedia in 1994 as the company was planning to build a travel guide on CD-ROM. However, Barton pitched the idea of an online service to Bill Gates, who permitted him to pursue the project. 

In 1996, Expedia made its debut on the internet, and Rich was the CEO of the site’s IPO until 2003, when it was purchased for $3.6 billion.

 

Making Billions

After selling Expedia’s IP, Rich Barton took a year-long break from business to relax in Italy and enjoy his success. However, he didn’t rest for too long and made a comeback in 2004 to begin setting his next business plan in motion. Now in Seattle, Barton began working on the site Zillow, which he believed could transform the real estate industry. 

In December 2004, Zillow was incorporated in Washington and officially launched in February 2006. Upon launch, the site included a home valuation tool, sales history, and value appreciation information. However, the site crashed on the morning of its launch because the servers weren’t strong enough to handle the immense traffic. 

By 2008, Zillow had grown exponentially and, in 2010, had become incredibly profitable for the first time since its launch. 

In 2012, Barton purchased Rentjuice and Hotpads, followed by Street Easy in 2013 and Trulia in 2015. All of this helped make Rich Barton one of the richest people in America, and his net worth continues to increase.

 

Maintaining Zillow

Although Rich Barton stepped down as CEO in 2010, he returned in 2019, replacing Spencer Rascoff. A year prior, the site began buying and selling through the new Zillow Offers, which partnered with local real estate agents. Upon returning to the CEO position, Barton began expanding Zillow Offers into new markets across the United States. However, when the pandemic struck in 2020, Zillow saw its stock hit a four-year low, forcing them to cut expenses to stay profitable. 

By July 2020, Zillow became one of the first companies to allow employees to work from home permanently. This allowed them to hire an additional 1,500 employees with the plan to expand their workforce by 40% by the end of 2021. 

Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out, and Barton announced in November 2021 that Zillow was shutting down its home-buying business and laying off 25% of employees. 

This didn’t stop the Zillow Group from acquiring other businesses throughout the 2020s to expand their reach. These companies include ShowingTime, Follow Up Boss, and VRX Media, all of which have benefited Zillow. At the same time, Forbes named Barton a billionaire in 2020 after his earnings from Zillow continued to grow. 

Now one of the richest people in the world, Rich Barton has a $700 million stake in Zillow and plans to turn it into a home-flipping machine. He’s undoubtedly lived up to his first name, earning billions through his business. 

 

Rich Barton Net Worth

In 2024, Rich Barton’s net worth is estimated to be $2.1 Billion. 

 

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights of Rich Barton’s career:

  • Chief executive officer of Zillow Group
  • One of the top 10 innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review (2003)
  • Presidential Ambassadors for Continental Entrepreneurship (2012)

 

Summary

Rich Barton is an American entrepreneur and businessman best known for being the CEO of the Zillow Group.

He is also the founder of Expedia and Glassdoor. Barton was born in Connecticut and graduated from Standford University. He has also founded the online travel photography-sharing site Trover.

He was a venture partner at Benchmark and served on the boards of directors for Netflix and Artsy. In 2012, he was named one of Barack Obama‘s Presidential Ambassadors for Continental Entrepreneurship. 

What do you think about Rich Barton’s net worth? Leave a comment below. 

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Entrepreneurs

Russell Simmons Net Worth

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Russell Simmons Net Worth

What is Russell Simmons’ net worth?

Net Worth:$340 Million
Age:67
Born:October 4, 1957
Gender:Male
Height:1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Country of Origin:United States of America
Source of Wealth:Entrepreneur
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2024

Russell Simmons is an American record producer and entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $340 Million. 

Simmons is the co-founder of the record label Def Jam and has been among the top 25 most influential people in the industry over the past 25 years, playing a pivotal role in bringing hip-hop music to the forefront. 

 

Early Life 

Russell Simmons was born in Queens, New York, on October 4, 1957.

He is the son of Daniel Simmons Sr. and Evelyn Simmons. His father was a public school administrator, and his mother worked as a park administrator. Simmons attended the City College of New York for some time, after which he dropped out and went on to promote local musicians. 

 

Career

During college, Simmons met industry mentor Robert Ford Jr., and a few years later, he co-founded Def Jam Recordings with Rick Rubin. In 1985, he co-produced and appeared alongside Daryl McDaniels in the film “Krush Groove” and launched the Def Comedy Jam television program.

 

From Rap To Riches

The Def Comedy Jam program featured notable figures such as Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Martin Lawrence, who were prominent comedians then. At the same time, Russell’s services to the music industry and hip-hop culture were honored at the 2004 VH1 Hip Hop Honors. A few years later, he produced hit films “The Nutty Professor” featuring Eddie Murphy and “How to Be a Player.”

In 2003, Russell established RushCard, a prepaid debit card provider, and launched Phat Fashions LLC, featuring Phat Farm and Baby Phat labels. The apparel line has a traditional appearance and feel thanks to the influence of designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. Not long after establishing the business, he sold Phat Farm and Baby Phat to Kellwood Company in 2004 for $140 million.

That same year, he formed the Russell Simmons Music Group as a joint venture with Universal Music’s Island Def Jam Music Group.

 

Simmons’ Vegan Advocacy

Additionally, he co-founded the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters from Claremont Lincoln University in 2014. He also coordinated the anti-Rockefeller Drug Law demonstrations promoting more equitable drug laws and was designated as the UN Slavery Memorial’s Goodwill Ambassador.

Russell is a huge PETA supporter and won the PETA Humanitarian Award in 2001 and the Person of the Year Award. The group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) fights against animal abuse in entertainment and industry, advances vegetarianism, and defends animal rights. Many celebrities, such as Pamela Anderson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Woody Harrelson, are just a few of the figures supporting PETA.

His involvement with the NGO has influenced him to live a healthier lifestyle. He has become vegan himself and promotes the routine.

 

Signing Lil Skies And Jack Harlow

Simmons, a vegan since 1999, supports the David Lynch Foundation, which encourages activism, mindfulness, and vegetarianism; he also practices Jivamukti Yoga and Transcendental Meditation. He supports the Somaly Mam Foundation, which combats human trafficking and sexual slavery and endorses the second Muslim Jewish Conference promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

In 2012, Simmons’ book “Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All” took home the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction.

To top it all off, Richtopia listed him as one of the 200 most influential social entrepreneurs and philanthropists worldwide in 2017.

Russell released the “Masterminds of Hip Hop” NFT collection alongside Snoop Dogg and Ice-T and became a senior advisor for the vegan brand Everything Legendary.

Recently, Russell has been more involved in Def Jam Records, signing up-and-coming artists such as Lil Skies, Jack Harlow, and Dreezy.

 

Estimated Net Worth

In 2024, Russell Simmons’ net worth is estimated to be roughly $340 Million. 

 

Highlights 

Here are some of the best highlights of Russell Simmons’ career:

  • Co-founded Def Jam (1983) 
  • Krush Groove (Movie, 1985) 
  • Launched Clothing Line (1992) 
  • Sold Phat Farm (2004) 

 

Summary

Russell Simmons was one of the first producers in the industry to co-found one of the most significant record labels ‘Def Jam’. Simmons has collaborated with some of the best artists, such as Jay Z and LL Cool J.

What do you think about Russell Simmons’ net worth? Leave a comment below. 

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