There are several fictitious stories, canards and myths about Bill Gates which need to be cleared because the readers must get the facts correctly as this biography is not work of fiction but a true story of one of the greatest achievers of our times.
❑ Myth : Bill Gates was a highly educated person and he was a brilliant student loaded with ‘A’ grades.
FACT : The truth is that Bill did not even complete his graduation. He did not receive any technical training. He was an average student who got easily bored with classes and lectures. He worked for ‘A’ grades when it became imperative for him. Bill did make it to the top ten of USA in an Aptitude Test held nation wide.
❑ Myth : Some people claim his maternal grandpa J.W. Maxwell had bequeath had a million dollar trust to Bill Gates with which latter started his Microsoft venture.
FACT : There was no such trust bequeathed to Bill Gates. Microsoft was Bill and Allen’s enterprise for which there was no capital investment made in a big way.
❑ Myth : Bill Gates stole his success by employing unethical and illegal means for which he was dragged into litigations and was made to clear his position.
FACT : The charge levelled against Bill Gates was a part of conspiracy by his professional rivals and detractors. We in India see everyday politicians implicating their opponents in false cases and dragging them in courts. Bill was merely selling his products to the buyers on his own terms to protect his own copyrights. He forced no one to buy his products. It is the right of a manufacturer not to sell copyright of a product to his buyer. Bill had to protect the rights of the software he had developed from the possibilities of piracy or duplication by unscrupulous elements of the trade.
❑ Myth : Some people accuse him of betraying his friend and co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, used his computer skills and with money power usurped the entire credit of software development. Bill always maintained his firm grip on the company and kept Allen marginalised. Bill used Allen’s sweat and toil to glorify himself.
FACTS : It was yet another stick Bill’s detractors and opponents used to beat him with. Paul Allen himself never issued any statement about the betrayal of him by Bill or being used by the latter. It is true that Bill and Allen both had founded Microsoft and that credit was never denied to the latter. It was an accepted and documented fact. Bill always tried to keep Allen a part of Microsoft even by going out of the way. In business partnership some friction and differences of opinion are natural especially in a venture like Microsoft involving research, development, designing, manufacture and marketing. Those facts should not be unnecessarily exaggerated.
❑ Myth : Some detractors say that ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’ was set up merely to enable Bill wear a halo of saintly figure born to save the mankind and project himself as a modern messiah. A benevolent corporate king and scientist image Bill wanted to create of himself to cover up his unfair trade practices used by him in 80s.
FACT : The truth belies the above canard. A person putting on pretentious acts can not be transparent. His acts and talks are sure to betray his reality sooner or later. No impostor would like to throw away 37 per cent of his life’s earnings running into billions of dollars merely to propagate himself as a great man of charity which will not gain him back cash return. Only a genuine philanthropist will aportion that kind of money for humanitarian works. Bill does not need any more fame and he is not eyeing any votes to win election. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is choosing carefully selected fields like health and education to help in. The project and drives are sincerely selected. No make believe outfit would put up that kind of elaborate charad. We can say that Bill’s foundation is born out of genuine desire to help out others who are underprivileged.