William "Bill" Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington, on Oct. 28, 1955, co-founded Microsoft in 1975, and by 1987, he became the youngest billionaire in history, at only 31 years old. Presented is a particularly significant Microsoft business card of Bill Gates, obtained directly by our consignor on November 6th, 1980, when the consignor visited Gates for a business talk at Microsoft's Bellevue, Washington, office. At that time, Gates was only 25 years old. Bill Gates is an American businessman and philanthropist who was a pioneer in the 1970s-80s microcomputer revolution. Gates had been essentially obsessed by computers from an early age, and he began Microsoft, with his childhood friend and collaborator, Paul Allen, when Gates was merely 20 years old. Microsoft made an initial public offering in 1986, the company quickly became the "rage," and Gates' achievement of becoming a billionaire by 1987 was more of a beginning than a final plateau. Forbes magazine ranked Gates as the world's wealthiest individual in 18 of the 24 years between 1995 and 2017, and for 13 consecutive years between 1995 and 2007.

The offered Bill Gates business card has special significance because it was obtained directly by on consignor on November 6, 1980, a momentous date in computer history because that was the date when, according to a November 6, 1980, article on the website of the Computer History Museum, in Mountain View, California, "Microsoft Signs Contract with IBM to Create Operating System." The informative article (with no listed author) clearly explains the importance of the November 6, 1980, date: "Microsoft... signs a contract to create a new operating system for new IBM PC [personal computer]." The PC ignited the computer market, making home computers popular among more than just hobbyists. Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen developed the Microsoft Disk Operating System, commonly known as MS-DOS, using existing software from a Seattle company [Seattle Computer Products (SCP)] as a foundation. In an article written by Nick Podushak, dated November 6, 2022, for This Day in Tech History, the significance of the November 6, 1980, date is further explained: "Microsoft shrewdly included a clause in the agreement [with IBM] that allowed them [Microsoft] to sell the operating system to other companies under the name MS-DOS." That clause made Microsoft a giant, and it changed history.

The offered Bill Gates business card measures 2x3.5". The card is beige, with printing in black and amber on a tactile surface. The card has been neatly hand-dated by the consignor, in fine-tip black ink, as "11/6 '80." The business card contains the Microsoft logo, with "William H. Gates/president" in black machine print, and Microsoft's Bellevue, Washington address at "10800 NE Eighth/Suite 819." There are very light, very small stains, possible finger stains, mostly along the top of the card. Overall, the business card is in very good condition, and the aforementioned minor imperfections pale in comparison to the significance of a Bill Gates business card obtained on November 6, 1980 - a date that changed world history.

Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 16.16 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.