The beauty of Bill Gates

Bill Gates, the Microsoft chairman and the world's richest individual, has shut down his Windows and logged out of Office. On Friday, when he walked out of the Microsoft campus, it signalled the end of an era.

The 52-year-old visionary, who is heralded as the pioneer of the personal computer revolution, has decided to step down as Microsoft chairman and will now remain a part-time chairman. He will instead
concentrate on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pursue his philanthropic interests.

There are not too many in world history who was loved as much as he was hated. While millions adored him for his vision and genius, an equal number disliked his attitude towards competition and monopolistic ways, leading to the rise of open source technologies like Linux.

As a Harvard drop-out, however, he fuelled the imagination of millions of young people around the globe. People seemed to love the fact that he did not finish his education (though he was a brilliant student) and yet he became one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.

Microsoft, which he co-founded in 1975, is today one of the biggest companies in the world in terms of revenue. It's a company that even today people are in awe of, for its sheer ability to dominate the market, though it could never become the darling of the media the way Apple and Google have managed to do.

But Gates' true greatness lies in the fact that he could achieve whatever he set out to do. Software products such as Windows and Office are today part of software folklore and Gates is almost singularly responsible for its success.

The beauty of the man is that despite his competitive ways, he has been able to look beyond corporate success. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is today raising millions of dollars to fight issues in the education and health sectors. This dichotomy is probably the most fascinating factor about Gates.

As Gates leaves the corporation, the future is in the balance at Microsoft. Google has taken over its mantle as the technology leader of the future and Microsoft's bid for Yahoo! has not been successful.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer and chief research officer Craig Mundie have a fight on their hands, but for inspiration they can continue to turn to Bill Gates. The wheel has come a full circle.