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Bill Gates on Microsoft and the foundation: interview summary

The David Rubenstein Show: Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates

David Rubenstein · Dec 8, 2016 · about 25 min

Uploaded Dec 8, 2016 · 1.5M views (as of Oct 30, 2026)

Good value given

Building Microsoft and running a foundation both need a clear bet, a team and persistence.
He started on software at 17 and spent his teens obsessed with computers.
He calls himself a weird dropout because he keeps taking courses.
IBM thought hardware was what mattered, so Microsoft kept the value of software.
He first saw Warren Buffett as just a stock trader, then they became close friends.

How does Bill Gates compare building Microsoft to running his foundation?

He says they have more in common than people think. In both, you find an innovation that will matter, stick with it, build a team behind it, and push through setbacks. Microsoft suited his 20s and 30s, and the foundation needed the broader view of the world he gained later.

Worth watching?Good value given. A short, friendly interview that covers his youth, Microsoft's early deal and his friendship with Warren Buffett. Easy to watch in one sitting.

ActionableLessons

Actionable

Write down the one bet your work depends on, and the team you need for it.
Sign up for one course this month, even if you're done with school.
Look for the part of your industry others undervalue.
Meet one person you've judged without knowing them.

Lessons

Different stages of life suit different kinds of work.
Learning doesn't stop when school does.
Seeing where value will move is a big edge.
First impressions of people are often wrong.

Quick answer

Bill Gates sat down with David Rubenstein for this interview, published Dec 8, 2016. Here's our summary in our own words: a verdict, the answer to the big question, 5 takeaways, Actionable and Lessons tabs, then the stories, frameworks and how to use them.

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Watch the interview

Watch on YouTube: The David Rubenstein Show: Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates

Channel: David Rubenstein. Published Dec 8, 2016. About 25 minutes.

Who is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and later started the Gates Foundation.

David Rubenstein interviewed him for his Bloomberg show in 2016.

Key stories from the interview

His school let him leave part of his senior year to work writing software.
His one early splurge was a used Porsche 911, which he drove at night when he wanted to think.
He explains why Ctrl-Alt-Del exists: the keyboard could send a signal software couldn't fake.
He and Buffett play bridge, and he renewed his bridge skills to spend time with him.

Frameworks and ideas

Find the innovation, stick to it, build the team, expect setbacks.
Software over hardware: bet on where value moves.
Lifelong learning.

In their words (paraphrased)

Microsoft and the foundation have more in common than people might expect.
He's a weird dropout because he takes courses all the time.
IBM didn't see the value being in software.

How to apply this

List the setbacks you expect on your current project and plan for each.
Spend one evening learning a topic outside your work.
Ask where your industry's value will be in 10 years.

A note on this summary

This page reports what was said in the interview, in our own words. Lines under 'In their words' are paraphrased from the transcript, so check the video for exact wording.

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FAQ: questions people ask

Why did Bill Gates drop out of Harvard?

To build Microsoft. He says he still takes courses all the time and calls himself a weird dropout.

What did Bill Gates first think of Warren Buffett?

He thought Buffett just bought and sold securities, which didn't interest him, until they met.

Is this Bill Gates interview worth watching?

Good value given. It's short and covers a lot.