While every famous name has inspired a great deal of debate or controversy, few have captured the public imagination quite like Bill Gates. The former Microsoft billionaire is often asked, Why do you go by the name Gates? The common answer in the United States is that Gates’ name represents his wealth and the fact that the majority of Americans are rich beyond imagination. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is now focusing on building the human capital needed for future generations.
He may not have gotten his financial legacy done as president, but our favorite Mr. Gates has been a vocal advocate of education reform and also of personal branding for the past 10 years. Gates believes education is not about school, but about life opportunities. This includes personal education and the development of your skills, so it may well be the foundation of success for our dear Bill in the near future.
According to President Bill Clinton, Gates was not the biggest fan of his own nickname. Apparently, he didn’t like his nickname. Gates’s biggest problem with the name was the fact that the majority of people have a middle name. Gates was never one to take this personally, however. Rather, his problem stemmed from the fact that for the majority of his life he never wanted to hear, nor to talk about, his personal name.
Although the term ‘Bill’ may sound old-fashioned to some, we are very much all about the ‘gates’ idea. It is just as much a term of endearment as it is a name. Gates was always known by many as a gee-whiz. While he loved to invent, play with technology, and his knowledge of science, he was always a tech geek without any formal education.
Gates is widely-appreciated for his philanthropic spirit. He was highly involved with education reform and the advancement of new technology. However, with his wealth Gates is concerned that the current economic climate makes it difficult for American businesses and jobs to move to other places. This, the Bill Gates Foundation says, will be a factor in the future economic structure. To be sure, he is not the only wealthy executive to recognize the importance of philanthropy.
“We’ve named some of our products to help you meet your life’s challenges. We have named the Apple iPad line after the first executive that built a company, then used it to open millions of doors for Apple. The Windows operating system was named after a famous executive who also turned it to great advantage to the world. You’re the Gates Foundation, and you’ve done a great job of combining your skills to help many people.