Bill Gates is an American businessman known for co-founding Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. He played a significant role in the development of personal computing during the 1970s and 1980s. Gates became a billionaire at age 31 after Microsoft's public offering and the company's rapid growth. For many years, Gates was ranked as the world's wealthiest person by Forbes, holding the top spot for 18 out of 24 years between 1995 and 2017. As of May 2025, his net worth was estimated at over 115 billion US dollars, placing him among the richest people globally.