Since 1995, Bill Gates has been either the wealthiest or one of the wealthiest people in the world- not bad for someone who's last full-time work day at Microsoft was in 2008. He remains as Chairman of Microsoft and created the position of Chief Software Architect for himself with the company so he could also pursue philanthropic challenges, including scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he and his wife established in 2000. The success story of this software icon began back in the late seventies with a college friend, Paul Allen, launching the Windows operating system, and the rest, as they say, is history.