Who is Bill Gates?

Bill Gates is one of the most influential people in the world. He is cofounder of one of the most recognized brands in the computer industry with nearly every desk top computer using at least one software program from Microsoft. According to the Forbes magazine, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and has held the number one position for many years.

Gates was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington USA. His father, William H. Gates II was a Seattle attorney and his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates was a school teacher and chairperson of the United Way charity. Gates and his two sisters had a comfortable upbringing, with Gates being able to attend the exclusive secondary “Lakeside School”.

Bill Gates started studying at Harvard University in 1973 where he spent time with Paul Allen. Gates and Allen worked on a version of the programming language BASIC, that was the basis for the MITS Altair (the first microcomputer available). He did not go on to graduate from Harvard University as he left in his junior year to start what was to become the largest computer software company in the world; Microsoft Corporation.

Bill Gates and the Microsoft Corporation
“To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.” Microsoft Mission Statement
After dropping out of Harvard Bill Gates and his partner Paul Allen set about revolutionizing the computer industry. Gates believed there should be a computer on every office desk and in every home.

In 1975 the company Micro-soft was formed, which was an abbreviation of microcomputer software. It soon became simply “Microsoft”® and went on to completely change the way people use computers.

Microsoft helped to make the computer easier to use with its developed and purchased software, and made it a commercial success. The success of Microsoft began with the MS-DOS computer operating system that Gates licensed to IBM. Gates also set about protecting the royalties that he could acquire from computer software by aggressively fighting against all forms of software piracy, effectively creating the retail software market that now exists today. This move was quite controversial at the time as it was the freedom of sharing that produced much innovation and advances in the newly forming software industry. But it was this stand against software piracy, that was to be central in the great commercial success that Microsoft went on to achieve.

Bill Gates retired as Microsoft CEO in 2008.

Bill Gates Criticism
With his great success in the computer software industry also came many criticisms. With his ambitious and aggressive business philosophy, Gates or his Microsoft lawyers have been in and out of courtrooms fighting legal battles almost since Microsoft began.

The Microsoft monopoly sets about completely dominating every market it enters through either acquisition, aggressive business tactics or a combination of them. Many of the largest technology companies have fought legally against the actions of Microsoft, including Apple Computer, Netscape, Opera, WordPerfect, and sun Microsystems.

Bill Gates Net Worth
With an estimated wealth of $53 billion in 2006, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and he should be starting to get used to the number spot as he has been there from the mid-ninties up until now. The famous investor Warren Buffett is gaining on Gates though with an estimated $46 billion in 2006.

Microsoft hasn’t just made Bill Gates very wealthy though. According to the Forbes business magazine in 2004 Paul Allen, Microsoft cofounder was the 5th richest man in the world with an estimated $21 billion. While Bill Gates’ long time friend and Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer was the 19th richest man in the world at $12.4 billion.

Bill Gates Philanthropy
Being the richest man in the world has also enabled Gates to create one of the world’s largest charitable foundations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an endowment of more than $28 billion, with donations totaling more than $1 billion every year. The foundation was formed in 2000 after merging the “Gates Learning Foundation” and “William H. Gates Foundation”. Their aim is to “bring innovations in health and learning to the global community”.

Bill Gates continues to play a very active role in the workings of the Microsoft Company, but has handed the position of CEO over to Steve Ballmer. Gates now holds the positions of “Chairman” and “Chief Software Architect”. He has started that he plans to take on fewer responsibilities at Microsoft and will eventually devote all his time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2006, the second richest man in the world, Warren Buffett pledged to give much of his vast fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill Gates Receives a KBE
In March 2005 William H. Gates received an “honorary” knighthood from the queen of England. Gates was bestowed with the KBE Order (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services in reducing poverty and improving health in the developing countries of the world.
After the privately held ceremony in Buckingham Palace with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Gates commented on the recognition..
“I am humbled and delighted. I am particularly pleased that this honor helps recognize the real heroes our foundation (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) supports to improve health in poor countries. Their incredible work is helping ensure that one day all people, no matter where they are born, will have the same opportunity for a healthy life, and I’m grateful to share this honor with them.”

The KBE Order of the British Empire is the second highest Order given out, but it is only an honorary knighthood as only citizens that are British or a part of the Commonwealth receive the full Order. This means that Gates does not become Sir Bill Gates.

Bill Gates lives near Lake Washington with his wife Melinda French Gates and their three children. Interests of Gates include reading, golf and playing bridge.

Credits: Woopidoo

Who is Anthony Robbins?

Entrepreneur, Author & Peak Performance Strategist

World Authority on Leadership Psychology

For the past three decades, Anthony Robbins has served as an advisor to leaders around the world. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, organizational turnaround, and peak performance, he has been honored consistently for his strategic intellect and humanitarian endeavors. His nonprofit Anthony Robbins Foundation provides assistance to inner-city youth, senior citizens, and the homeless, and feeds more than three million people in 56 countries every year through its international holiday “Basket Brigade.” Robbins has directly impacted the lives of more than 50 million people from over 100 countries with his best-selling books, multimedia and health products, public speaking engagements, and live events.

What began as a young person’s desire to help individuals transform the quality of their lives has grown into Robbins’ lifelong crusade as he is called on by leaders from every walk of life-presidents, political leaders, advocates for humanity, CEOs of multinational corporations, psychologists, peak performance athletes, world-class entertainers, teachers, and parents. Since fathering the life coaching industry, Robbins has produced the #1-selling audio coaching system of all time. He also is a corporate Vice Chairman, and Chairman overseeing five private companies. Robbins has been honored by Accenture as one of the “Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World”; by Harvard Business Press as one of the “Top 200 Business Gurus”; by American Express as one of the “Top Six Business Leaders in the World” to coach its entrepreneurial clients; by Forbes as a Top 100 Celebrity; by Justice Byron White as one of the world’s “Outstanding Humanitarians”; and by the International Chamber of Commerce as one of the top 10 “Outstanding Young People of World.”

Peace Negotiator & Humanitarian

Robbins was selected as Vice Chairman of Health, Education, and Science for the United Nations Research Center for the International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC) NGO. Working with the Organization of American States, the Carter Center, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Robbins participated as one of the members of the team that helped negotiate an electoral solution for peace to the strife and conflict that have devastated the Venezuelan people and their economy. Robbins has collaborated with political and business leaders in diverse world communities such as South Africa, England, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, and the United States. Robbins has also been a national spokesperson for the Wellness Community, a nonprofit organization that provides support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones. Through participation in professionally led support groups and educational workshops, people affected by cancer learn vital skills that enable them to regain control, reduce isolation and restore hope, regardless of the stage of disease. Through his strategies for “Leadership in Times of Crisis” and his systems for “Indirect Negotiations,” Robbins has participated in negotiations that have broken the patterns of violence and de-escalated the rhetoric that invites it. Robbins has worked on teams that not only help mitigate further devastation and facilitate peaceful decision-making among conflicting parties, but also inspire conflicting parties to create a mutually beneficial and compelling vision that is aligned with their respective values, raising the standard by which they live. He is also the recipient of the Timmie Award, given by the esteemed Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C for humanitarian efforts.

Strategic Advisor to World Leaders

Robbins has met with, consulted, or advised international leaders including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Francois Mitterrand, Princess Diana, and Mother Teresa. He has consulted members of two royal families, members of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines and three U.S. Presidents, including Bill Clinton. Robbins has had the unique opportunity to identify patterns and model the underlying strategies generating consistent results for some of the most successful individuals in the world.

Successful Entrepreneur & Honored Business Strategist

A successful entrepreneur, Robbins serves as Chairman of seven privately held companies in industries as diverse as hospitality, education, media production, business services, and neutraceuticals, and he holds an interest in and strategically directs a series of others. While diverse in characterization, all seven companies—plus his five holding companies—are geared toward Robbins’ creed of improving the quality of life for people around the world: from Namale Resort & Spa, the award-winning, 325-acre tropical paradise in the Fiji Islands, to Twinlab Corporation, the highest-rated neutraceutical company honored in 2003 with the Consumer Satisfaction Award as Top Rated Retail Brand by Consumerlab.com, an independent testing group. Robbins’ pursuit of creating and contributing to a higher standard of living is reflected by one of his subsidiary companies, Rebus Publishing, a leading consumer health and science publisher that has been communicating healthy ideas for more than 25 years through such avenues as the “UC Berkeley Wellness Letter” and “Johns Hopkins Health After 50” newsletter. Robbins was also the first individual in the personal improvement industry to surpass more than a billion dollars in gross sales.

Leaders and achievers already at the pinnacle of success in their respective fields call on Robbins to be their strategic advisor when they face critical decisions requiring creative options and a systematic evaluation of probabilities and consequences. American Express asked its entrepreneurial clients whom they would select if they could choose anyone in the world to personally coach them to take their businesses to the next level if price were no object. Robbins was chosen along with Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Lee Iacocca and Ross Perot.

Philanthropist

A founding strategist of the Presidential Summit for America’s Promise, Robbins partnered in helping to design systems that generated over two million mentors for young people throughout the United States. Four Presidents and Secretary of State Colin Powell partnered with Robbins in the process. What began nearly 30 years ago as Robbins’ individual effort to feed two homeless families has now grown into the Anthony Robbins Foundation’s international holiday “Basket Brigade,” which feeds more than three million people in 56 countries every year. His foundation has provided support or initiated programs in more than 2,000 schools, 700 prisons and 100,000 service organizations and shelters. Almost 20 years ago, Robbins personally sponsored a class of disadvantaged fifth graders in Houston, Texas, by becoming their personal mentor and sponsor of their college education. In 2003, these student “Champions” graduated from college—an experience that Robbins made possible. Each year, Robbins oversees his foundation’s Discovery Camp, which helps more than 100 students from 18 countries design and initiate leadership programs to take home to their local schools.

Award-Winning Speaker

In addition to his global efforts to facilitate leadership, peace and philanthropy, Robbins is an award-winning speaker who has addressed such distinguished audiences as the British Parliament, Harvard Business School, the Gorbachev Foundation’s Cold War Forum, the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future, the State of the World Forum, Vice President Al Gore’s Putting Customers First Conference, and the World Economic Forum. In 2006, he was invited to speak at the prestigious Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) Conference, attended by the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders, including the founders of Google and Vice President Al Gore. His speech is one of the top ten most viewed in the history of TED, with more than two million views. Toastmasters International recognized Robbins as one of the world’s greatest speakers, awarding him the Golden Gavel Award, its most prestigious honor. One of the most sought-after speakers in the world, more than four million people from over 100 countries have attended Anthony Robbins’ live seminars, speaking engagements or training programs.

Internationally Best-Selling Author

Robbins is an internationally best-selling author with five books published in 14 languages, and he is the creator of the #1 personal and professional development system of all time, Personal Power; more than 40 million audiotapes have been sold worldwide. Robbins has created a system of total immersion that produces the education, strategies, and momentum for measurable and lasting change. Robbins is also the founder of Mastery University, which brings together the world’s leading experts from their respective fields. In the past, Robbins’ co-facilitators have included General Norman Schwarzkopf and Secretary of State Colin Powell on leadership, Dr. Deepak Chopra on psychoneuroimmunology, Peter Lynch and Sir John Templeton on finance, and Vice President Al Gore on creating peace in troubled times.

Mass Media Veteran

Robbins has developed and produced five award-winning television infomercials that have continuously aired on average every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day somewhere in North America since their initial introduction in April 1989. Recently, Robbins has created a series of six television shows that will air on primetime NBC in the summer of 2010. His work has been featured in major media including Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, Life, GQ, Vanity Fair, Business Week, Tycoon and Success magazines, the CBS Evening News, NBC News, ABC’s Prime Time Live, Fox News, CNN and A&E as well as newspapers, radio programs, and Internet media worldwide. Robbins has been mentioned or featured in 15 major motion pictures, including a cameo role in the hit movie “Shallow Hal.” In 2007, he was named to Forbes magazine’s “Celebrity 100” list.

Authority on Peak Performance

Highly respected as the nation’s foremost authority on the psychology of peak performance and personal, professional, and organizational turnaround, Robbins has advised and counseled Fortune 500 CEOs, world-renowned medical doctors, legends in entertainment, and championship sports teams including America’s Cup winner, America 3; Stanley Cup finalist, Los Angeles Kings; NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs; and other teams from the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. He has worked with elite coaches and athletes, including UFC Champion Chuck Liddell, tennis greats André Agassi and Serena Williams, and golf legend Greg Norman, along with champions from the National Football League, the PGA Tour, the U.S. Tennis Association and NASCAR. He has also coached various celebrities and musicians including Leonardo DiCaprio and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

Innovator in Psychology and Intervention

As a recognized catalyst for developing systems and strategies for accelerated and lasting transformations in individuals worldwide, Robbins has been sought after by psychologists and psychiatrists for training. Robbins, along with his partner Cloe Madanes, created almost ten years ago the Robbins-Madanes Center for Strategic Intervention, which produces training materials and programs for the therapeutic community. Together they have trained more than 100,000 therapists. For more than 20 years, Madanes has served as world-renowned teacher of therapists. Two of her books are considered classic texts—Strategic Family Therapy and The Violence of Men. Robbins appeared as a featured author in one of her books—Relationship Breakthrough: How to Create Outstanding Relationships in Every Area of Your Life. Robbins and Madanes are actively involved in the Council for Human Rights of Children at the University of San Francisco, a prestigious international think tank created to develop and codify methods to ensure the rights of children are maintained and championed. Robbins was among the speakers featured at the Council’s 2005 meeting at the University of Oxford, where he addressed “Alternatives to Institutionalization of Children and Youth in Crisis.” He also has been a featured speaker at The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the world’s largest psychotherapy conference that brings together more than 10,000 industry leaders from around the world every five years.

Family Man

Robbins’ commitment to creating an enduring legacy that will impact the world is surpassed only by his passion for family as a dedicated father of four children and a loving husband to his wife, Sage “Bonnie Pearl” Robbins.

Credits: Tony Robbins

Financial Advice for AVERAGE PEOPLE

One reason why 90 percent of people are financially average is because they follow average advice, for example:

1. “Go to School”
2. “Get a JOB”
3. “Work Hard”
4. “Save money”
5. “Your house is an asset and your biggest investment”
6. “Live below your means”
7. “Get out of debt”
8. “Invest for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds”
9. “Retire, and the government will support you
10.“Live Happily Ever After”

“Live happily ever after is added because the above financial advices are fairy tales of money.” – from The Conspiracy of the Rich by Robert Kiyosaki

True enough… Today, we still do not have adequate financial education in our schools.

During the dark days of our Spanish Era, Filipino slaves were forbidden to be educated. An educated slave class was a dangerous slave class. Today, we fail to teach kids to be financially literate. It is another way of creating slaves- wage slaves.

Immediately after leaving school, most kids begin to look for a job, save money, buy a house and invest for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio of mutual funds.

Now that millions of people are losing their jobs, what do they do? They go back to school to get trained, look for a new job, try to save money, pay their mortgage, and invest for their retirement in mutual funds. And they teach their kids to do the same.

Ivan Pavlov won a Nobel Price in 1904 in Physiology and Medicine for his research on the digestive system of dogs. Today, when we hear the term Pavlov’s dogs, it refers to conditioned response. Going to school to get a high-paying job, saving your money for a house, and investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and mutual funds are examples of a conditioned response. Many people cannot articulate why they do these things. They simply do it because it is what they were taught, a conditioned response.

History is full of success stories of those who ignored conditioned responses and forged their own path. The Wright Brothers and Henry Ford never finished high school. Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Steve Jobs never finished college. Sergey Brin of Google suspended his PhD studies in Stanford. Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in his dorm room at Harvard, traveled to California, and never returned to finish his education. All of these world-changers dropped out of school because they no longer needed to look for a JOB.

They had an idea and the courage to act on that idea. They started businesses and created jobs for others. Today, entrepreneurship is exploding all over the world. More important, the most successful entrepreneurs understand that we are in the information age. They have the vision to see the changes happening that most do not.

Question: What advice do you have for the average person?

Answer: Don’t be average

Credits to The Conspiracy of the Rich by Robert Kiyosaki.