Bill Gates Trivia Questions

He co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 with Warren Buffett, promising to donate majority of his fortune.

Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen, a well-known but true fact that still surprises some people given his later philanthropy.

Gates started coding at age 13 and has often spoken about his early passion for programming. This statement contradicts his known history.

False. Gates' peak net worth was about $100 billion in 1999, while Finland's GDP that year was over $128 billion. His wealth never surpassed Finland's economy.

This is a common viral myth. Even at his peak wealth, picking up $1,000 takes seconds; his per-second earnings are far less than that.

Gates did drop out of Harvard, but Microsoft's first office was a small rented space in Albuquerque, New Mexico—not a garage. That myth belongs to Apple.

Gates was an avid reader as a child and famously read the entire World Book Encyclopedia. He reads about 50 books a year now.

True. Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to start Microsoft with Paul Allen. He never finished his degree, though he later received an honorary one.

He left Harvard in 1975 after his sophomore year to co-found Microsoft, never finishing his degree until an honorary one later.

Gates came from a wealthy family—his father was a prominent lawyer and his mother served on corporate boards. He paid full tuition, no scholarship.

Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to found Microsoft and only received an honorary degree in 2007.

Microsoft purchased QDOS from programmer Tim Paterson and adapted it into MS-DOS; Bill Gates did not write the code.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975. This is a well-documented fact in corporate histories and biographies.

He was heavily involved in early software, but Microsoft files thousands of patents annually—no single person reviews them all.

This is a common myth. Gates has used various smartphones over the years, including Windows Phones and later Android devices, though he famously preferred Windows Mobile early on.

Gates is a voracious reader and has said in interviews that he reads roughly one book a week, equating to about 50 per year, and shares reviews on his blog GatesNotes.

He held the top spot many years but was intermittently surpassed by others like Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, and Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim during that period.

MS-DOS was originally created by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products. Gates licensed it to IBM and later bought the rights, but did not invent it.

Microsoft, led by Gates, purchased 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products in 1981 for $50,000, then licensed it to IBM as MS-DOS. Gates did not write the code himself.

At Lakeside School, Gates and Paul Allen exploited bugs to get prime class slots. The school caught them and revoked computer privileges for a year.

False. Gates never owned a majority of Apple. He once invested $150 million in Apple in 1997 to help it avoid bankruptcy, but that was a small non-voting stake.

Microsoft Windows was developed by a team of programmers, not by Bill Gates alone. Gates focused on business strategy and earlier software like MS-DOS and BASIC, but did not write the Windows operating system code himself.

False. Gates has rented parts of Lanai for vacations, but the island is 98% owned by Larry Ellison, not Gates. Ellison bought it in 2012.

As of 2024, Gates has contributed more than $50 billion to the foundation, supporting global health, education, and poverty reduction.

Gates left Harvard in 1975 to start Microsoft and never completed his degree, though he later received an honorary doctorate in 2007.

In a 2017 interview with Quartz, Gates proposed taxing robots that replace human jobs to fund retraining and social programs.

Gates bought the scientific manuscript at auction for $30.8 million.

As of 2023, Bill Gates had given approximately $59 billion through the Gates Foundation and personal gifts, the most by any living person.

Gates wrote significant portions, but Paul Allen and Monte Davidoff also contributed heavily to the Altair BASIC in 1975.

Gates has consistently said his primary phone is an Android. He mentioned using Android with Microsoft apps and has not claimed to use an iPhone as his main device.

He held the top spot many years but lost it several times, including to Carlos Slim and Jeff Bezos during that period.

Gates consistently reads roughly 50 books annually and posts detailed reviews on his blog GatesNotes, a habit he frequently discusses.

Bill Gates does not own a superyacht; a rumor that he purchased the hydrogen-powered yacht 'Aqua' was debunked.

Microsoft bought QDOS from Seattle Computer Products and adapted it; Gates didn't write the original code himself.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard in 1975 and never completed a bachelor's degree. Although he received an honorary doctorate from Harvard in 2007, honorary degrees are not earned through academic study.

Gates was officially granted a leave of absence from Harvard in 1975 to start Microsoft, and he never formally withdrew, though he didn't return.

Gates was arrested in Albuquerque in 1977 for a traffic violation, as documented in a widely circulated mugshot.

The Gates Foundation's annual global health spending (about $2 billion) is less than the WHO's annual budget (around $3-4 billion).

Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and served as CEO until January 2000, when he stepped down to become chief software architect and chairman.

In a 2017 Reddit AMA, Gates stated he flies 'coach most of the time,' confirming his habit of flying economy on commercial flights.

This is a fabricated quote. Gates has never said this. He remains proud of his software career and often speaks about the joy of coding.

The term was coined by Fred Cohen in 1983 for his PhD thesis; Gates had no role in it.

Gates bought the 72-page da Vinci notebook for $30.8 million in 1994 at auction. He keeps it in a vault and occasionally loans it to museums.

He bought the Codex Leicester for $30.8 million in 1994, but it's only one notebook, not the largest collection.

In 2010, Gates donated $10 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was then the largest single charitable donation in history.

His Xanadu 2.0 mansion in Medina, Washington, includes a trampoline room with a 20-foot ceiling, designed for exercise and fun.

True. In 1972, Gates and Allen formed Traf-O-Data, a company that analyzed traffic tapes for city planners. It earned them about $20,000.

In 1977, Gates was arrested in Albuquerque for running a stop sign and driving without a license. The charge was later dismissed.

False. Gates' parents were supportive of his interest in computers. He started programming at age 13 on a school terminal, not a home internet ban.

Gates has an excellent memory but not a true photographic one. This exaggerated claim is a popular myth stemming from his early coding prowess.

The foundation's official reports and site state it has committed more than $50 billion to global health since its founding in 2000.

By the end of 2023, the foundation reported total grant payments exceeding $71 billion, as documented in its annual financial statements and fact sheets.

He was arrested for driving without a license and running a stop sign, not for DUI.

Gates has no DUI record. He was arrested in 1977 for a traffic violation (running a red light) in Albuquerque, but not for DUI.

Through the Gates Foundation, he has invested millions in reinventing the toilet for developing countries, including waterless models.