Launched Windows 95 — the OS that brought PCs into mainstream homes
Microsoft released Windows 95, introducing the Start menu, 32-bit multitasking, and Plug and Play hardware support. The launch was a global cultural event: stores opened at midnight, queues stretched around blocks, and the Rolling Stones' 'Start Me Up' played in TV ads. Over a million copies sold in the first four days, cementing the personal computer as a household staple and making Gates a household name.
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Established Cascade Investment LLC
Related Accomplishments
January 2026
Gates Foundation Awards $4.98 Million to Heritable Agriculture for AI-Driven Climate-Resilient Crop Genomics
In January 2026, the Gates Foundation awarded $4.98 million to Heritable Agriculture — an AI crop improvement company spun from Google X — for the JASON project, deploying a cloud-based AI genomics engine to identify drought and heat tolerance gene targets in staple crops for LMIC smallholder farmers. JASON aims to compress conventional crop breeding timelines and deliver climate-resilient germplasm faster to the nearly 2 billion people whose incomes depend on smallholder agriculture.
May 2026
Gates Foundation and Anthropic Launch $200 Million AI Partnership for Global Health and Smallholder Agriculture
On May 14, 2026, the Gates Foundation and Anthropic announced a $200 million four-year partnership — the largest between an AI company and a global philanthropy — combining grants, AI credits, and technical support. The partnership deploys AI to screen drug and vaccine candidates, detect patterns in systematic health reviews, and support smallholder farming decisions with locally customised crop knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa and India. Education initiatives include AI-powered tutoring for K-12 students and foundational literacy tools across Africa and India.
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