In a rare and revealing new interview with Bill Gates, Gates discusses such topics as what he plans to do with his billions of dollars; if he ever plans to lead Microsoft again; his friendship with people like Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bono; his plans to change the world through his philanthropy; his 85 year-old father who shows up for work every day at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; his view on his "legacy," and MUCH more.
With so much information to behold in the new interview, I've decided to post a collection of 10 facts/passages from the interview. While some of what the interview covers may not be anything new for those of us who keep up with his affairs these days, this interview has shown that there is plenty none of us are aware of. And now, in no particular order of importance:
One of the things I like the most about the article is that we get to see a human side of Bill Gates; specifically, when he talks about his family and the fact that the five of them go places in a minivan.
Bill Gates in a minivan. Awesome.
But there is plenty more, such as when he's asked if he has bought his children any Apple devices, like an iPod or iPad. The response is priceless and nothing short of what one would expect from the former CEO of Microsoft.
So even if you've been around through the highs and lows of Microsoft and all the crass decisions Bill Gates has been accused of making where destroying businesses is concerned, I highly recommend reading the interview in its entirety. Past endeavors aside, Bill is a man on a completely different and worthy mission these days: to use his wealth to influence the least of fortunate locations in the world in infinitely positive ways.
Now, I'd like to close with a passage from the article when he was asked about his "legacy." To quote:
"That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard!
"Legacy is a stupid thing! I don’t want a legacy. If people look and see that childhood deaths dropped from nine million a year to four million because of our investment, then wow! I liken what I’m doing now to my old job. I worked with a lot of smart people; some things went well, some didn’t go so well. But when you see how what we did ended up empowering people, it’s a very cool thing.
"I want a malaria vaccine. If we get one then we’ll have to find the money to give it to everyone, but the impact would be so huge we would find a way. Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied. What I’m doing now involves understanding maths, risk-taking. The first half of my life was good preparation for the second half."
Source: Bill Gates... A rare and remarkable interview with the world's second richest man
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