Bill Gates: The Early Years

Young CEO
Bill Gates, about 27, in his Microsoft office in 1982.


Geniuses at Work
Gates watches his friend and future Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen typing on a teletype terminal at the Lakeside School in Seattle in 1968. Gates was 13 when he entered the exclusive prep school, which was around the time this photo was taken.


Slacker?
Much of the computer equipment at Lakeside was bought with proceeds from a rummage sale organized by the students' mothers. Gates was drawn to programming the machines and was excused from math classes to pursue his interest.


Graduate
Gates during Commencement at the Lakeside School in 1973.


Mugshot
In 1977, Gates was arrested by New Mexico police for speeding.


Partners
Gates and Allen in Microsoft's offices in 1982. Started initially in New Mexico, the company moved to Bellevue, Wash., in January 1979.


The Staff
The early team at Microsoft paused for a group portrait in 1978. Gates is at the bottom left.






Lots of Memory
Gates demonstrates the memory power of a CD in 1987.


Bill Gates, Mitch Kapor, and Fred Gibbons representing Macintosh software vendors in 1984.

In 1984, Bill Gates appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine; he has since appeared seven more times.