Bill Gates Shares Original Code That Started It All As Microsoft Celebrates 50 Years: 'That Was The Revolution'

Microsoft MSFT founder Bill Gates nostalgically looks back on the computer code he wrote 50 years ago, which played a pivotal role in the creation of the tech giant.

What Happened: Gates reminisced about the early days of Microsoft in a blog post. He and his late high school friend, Paul Allen, were inspired by a 1975 article about the Altair 8800, a minicomputer powered by a chip from the then-unknown tech company, Intel INTC. This prompted them to assure Altair’s manufacturer, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, that they had developed software to operate the hardware, even though they had not yet written the code.

After two months of rigorous effort, Gates finished the code that laid the groundwork for Altair’s first operating system. This code later formed the basis for Microsoft’s suite of software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the Windows operating system.

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“That code remains the coolest I’ve ever written,” Gates mentioned in his blog post, which also provides an option to download the original program. “That was the revolution,” he added in his official YouTube video, “That was the thing that ushered in personal computing.”

Why It Matters: As Bill Gates nears his 70th birthday in October, he has been reflecting on his past. His February memoir delves into his early years and his relationship with the late Apple AAPL co-founder, Steve Jobs.

Gates’ reflection on the early days of Microsoft comes at a time when the company is thriving more than ever. Despite Gates’ initial fears about Microsoft’s future when he stepped down as CEO in 2000, the company has charted an impressive course over the years.

The co-founder once expressed a deep concern about Microsoft's future when he stepped down as CEO. He worried the company might lose its famed standard of excellence and that the chance to guide it back might one day be missed. Despite these early misgivings, Microsoft is now worth $3 trillion and continues to thrive.

Microsoft holds a momentum rating of 36.54% and a growth rating of 64.54%, according to Benzinga's Proprietary Edge Rankings. For an in-depth report on more stocks and insights into growth opportunities, sign up for Benzinga Edge.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.