“The year I was born, 1955, the first big disease-eradication program in the world was declared for malaria. After about a decade of work, they realized that, at least in the tropical areas, they did not have the tools to get it done.”

American entrepreneur and philanthropist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Gates co-founded Microsoft and became one of the world’s most influential figures in technology and business. He is known for his visionary leadership in software development and his later work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on global health, education, and poverty alleviation.