[Bill Gates has always divided opinion. Compared for his arrogance to Napoleon by a US judge, the billionaire has been more recently noted for his philanthropy.
But as he steps down from his role at Microsoft, few can doubt Gates' leaves a profound legacy to business and the wider world.
Microsoft's path to global dominance was shaped by a strategic coup in 1981, that turned out to be a critical blunder for IBM. Microsoft was allowed to license its personal computer operating system to other manufacturers, spawning an industry of "IBM-compatible" machines dependent on Microsoft's operating system.
Popularising the personal computer - both at home and in the office - soon made Microsoft a Wall Street darling. The group's shares soared from $2 in 1986 to $105 within a decade, turning Gates and co-founder Paul Allen into billionaires and changing the global
business forever.
"I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created", Gates once said.
Few would argue, but it was Gates's ability to feed PCs to the world that has earned him comparisons with the great businessman of American history such as Henry Ford and JD Rockefeller.
More recent critics have branded Microsoft a dotcom dinosaur and the pointed to the threats to its business from Google. Gates has appeared at ease with the challenge. Talking of Google two years ago, he said: "People tend to get over-focused on one of our competitors. We've always seen that. The biggest company in the computer industry by far is IBM.
"IBM has always been our biggest competitor. The press just doesn't like to write about IBM."
Gates has certainly attracted headlines and was once arrested for racing his Porsche 911 through the New Mexico desert.
Whichever side you take, it is almost impossible to argue that when it comes to building an empire from scratch, changing the way the world does business, and holding on to the competitive edge in an industry - few come close to Microsoft or Gates.]-UKT
Pretty cool video also. Almost as good as his Bio I constantly study.
