William Henry Gates III, known as Bill Gates, is an American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. In 1975, along with Paul Allen, he co-founded Microsoft Corporation, a company that led the personal computer revolution. Under his leadership as CEO and chief software architect, Microsoft developed operating systems such as MS-DOS and the Windows family, which became global standards, along with productivity suites like Microsoft Office. After progressively stepping down from his operational roles at Microsoft starting in 2000, he has dedicated himself full-time to philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the world, committed to improving global health and reducing poverty. For his technological and humanitarian impact, he has received numerous international honors, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.