Get Make It newsletters delivered to your inbox, Learn more about the world of CNBC Make It, 2023 CNBC LLC. When Bill Gates started . "What are you doing?" Bill Gates Sr., Father of Microsoft's Co-Founder, Dies at 94 . In Pictures: Bill Gates' Fortune Over The Years - Forbes William Henry Gates III is born in Seattle. Bill Gates Net Worth 2021: Divorce Settlement, Prenup With Melinda In 1995, the company releases its Windows 95 operating system. He says in a Forbes column hes cutting down on his hours at the office: Most days I dont work more than 12 hours. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos take a hit: 8 richest tech leaders lost more than $250 billion in 2022. 'I was born into a huge situation of privilege,' said Jennifer, who covers the publication's July issue, 'and I think it's about using those opportunities and learning from them to find things that I'm passionate about and hopefully make the world a little bit of a better place. Despite not having many shares of Microsoft, Gates has a ton of shares in other companies through his Cascade Investments group. When Microsoft went public, Gates' shares alone were worth $350 million, making him one of the wealthiest men in America. But it wasn't always that way.