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Bill Gates, the co-founder and chairman of the Microsoft Corporation, has undoubtedly reached legend status and not only simply because he is considered as the world’s richest man. As the moving force behind a business that is considered “The Most Innovative Company Operating in the U.S.” (1993, Forbes magazines), Gates is definitely in a league of his own. With Gates at the helm, Microsoft launched a number of revolutionary technological advancements that have changed the face of the computer industry and the way men and women around the world use computers.

History has acknowledged Microsoft’s fantastic contributions and has judged Mircrosoft to be the very first really dominant player in property personal computer operating systems. Even today, Microsoft’s influence is felt around the world by means of the broad usage of Microsoft Windows, currently the most widely employed operating system in the world.

Gates first made his mark as is widely regarded as the prime mover and innovator behind the Microsoft Corporation from the time it was founded in 1975 until 2006. As the man responsible for product strategy, Gates significantly expanded Microsoft’s product lines and established as well as defended the leadership position in many of its key areas of operation. Gates has not been ideal as some of his decisions have led to antitrust litigation over Microsoft’s business practices. But his reputation as one of the most common and respected entrepreneurs of the personal laptop or computer revolution is unquestioned. Gates is actually 1 of those men who is larger than his region of expertise. To illustrate this point, New Statesman magazine voted Gates as number eight among the “Heroes of Our Time.”

Of late, Gates has been delegating many of his key functions in Microsoft. He announced last June that he would be naming a person else as the head of operations of Microsoft by July 2008 although he did say that he will still sit as the company’s chairman and as an advisor on special projects. Sources say that the leading candidate to succeed Gates as operations hear is Ray Ozzie, former president of the Groove business, which Microsoft bought in 2005.

His newest focus has been in the region of philanthropy by means of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some sources in the press estimate that Gates has possibly contributed over half his fortune to charity.