{"id":65332,"date":"2025-04-07T10:15:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T14:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/?p=65332"},"modified":"2025-04-07T08:57:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T12:57:34","slug":"bill-gates-25-shocking-facts-about-american-businessman-bill-gates-you-wont-find-in-textbooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/bill-gates-25-shocking-facts-about-american-businessman-bill-gates-you-wont-find-in-textbooks\/65332\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill Gates: 25 shocking facts about American businessman Bill Gates you won\u2019t find in textbooks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bill Gates<\/a> is not just the founder of Microsoft\u2014he\u2019s a paradox wrapped in genius, influence, and radical humility.<\/strong> From hacking his school\u2019s computer to scheduling his own classes, to building a trillion-dollar tech empire, Gates\u2019 journey is filled with unusual, quirky, and jaw-dropping moments. While most biographies focus on his rise in tech and philanthropy, there\u2019s a whole world of lesser-known facts that reveal his complex personality, eccentric habits, and groundbreaking influence.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a tech enthusiast, startup founder, or just curious about one of the most influential men in history, this article peels back the layers and dives into 10 mind-blowing facts about Bill Gates<\/strong> that rarely make it to the mainstream narrative.<\/p>\n

10 Facts \u2013 From\u00a0hacker to Harvard dropout: The untold youth of Bill Gates<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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  1. \n

    He hacked his high school\u2019s scheduling system to be in classes with girls.<\/strong>
    While attending Lakeside School<\/em>, a private preparatory school in Seattle, Gates and his friend Paul Allen hacked into the school\u2019s scheduling software. Gates famously adjusted his own class schedule so he could be in classes with \u201ca disproportionate number of interesting girls.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    He scored a 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT.<\/strong>
    Gates\u2019 intellectual brilliance was evident early on. Despite being a mischievous teen, he aced the SATs\u2014one of the highest scores in his class\u2014securing him a spot at Harvard University<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    He wrote his first computer program at age 13.<\/strong>
    Gates\u2019 first foray into coding began when he wrote a tic-tac-toe game<\/strong> in BASIC that allowed users to play against the computer. This was on a General Electric computer funded by his school\u2019s Mothers\u2019 Club.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    He was banned from using computers temporarily.<\/strong>
    After exploiting bugs in the Lakeside School computer system, Gates and a few friends were banned from computer access<\/strong> for the summer. He later gained access again when the school asked him to help identify more flaws.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    He read entire encyclopedias for fun.<\/strong>
    Gates wasn\u2019t just a math geek. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. As a child, he would read the entire World Book Encyclopedia<\/em><\/strong> series cover to cover\u2014often just for fun.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. \n

    He and Paul Allen founded a business before Microsoft.<\/strong>
    In high school,     Gates<\/a> and Allen started a venture called Traf-O-Data<\/strong>, which created traffic data processors. Though the business wasn\u2019t a commercial success, it laid the groundwork for their future collaboration on Microsoft.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  7. \n

    He dropped out of Harvard to chase a startup dream.<\/strong>
    In 1975, Gates made the bold decision to leave Harvard after just two years. He and Allen had seen a Popular Electronics<\/em> cover story on the Altair 8800<\/strong>, which sparked their move to create software for microcomputers\u2014what would become Microsoft.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  8. \n

    He wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d make it in business.<\/strong>
    Contrary to popular belief, Gates didn\u2019t leave Harvard with full confidence. In interviews, he\u2019s admitted he thought Microsoft might just be a phase<\/strong>, and he could always go back to college.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  9. \n

    He used to memorize license plates for fun.<\/strong>
    As a teen, Gates had a bizarre hobby: he memorized license plates so he could track the comings and goings of Microsoft employees<\/strong>. He also got several speeding tickets, including one with Paul Allen in New Mexico, where Microsoft was based at the time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  10. \n

    He lived on pizza, Diet Coke, and late nights.<\/strong>
    During his early Microsoft days, Gates was known for his intense focus. He often pulled all-nighters<\/strong>, powered by junk food<\/em> and soft drinks<\/em>, sometimes working 36 hours straight.<\/p>\n

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