Gates years in Office rewarded with knighthood
Gates years in Office rewarded with knighthood
March 02, 2005: The world's wealthiest man, Bill Gates, is going to be rewarded by the Queen of England for his contribution towards global enterprises by receiving one of the highest British honours.
The British Foreign Office said that Gates was not only being recognised for the way Microsoft has changed the way people do business all over the world, but also for his work on reducing poverty around the world.
Britain's chancellor, Gordon Brown, recommended that Gates should be rewarded with a knighthood and Jack Straw said that Microsoft has had a very positive impact on the economy.
In the UK, Microsoft has employed 2,000 people and has contributed to the growth of the IT sector.
He will be awarded with the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at a date yet to be decided.
Despite being worth $40 billion, Gates has also donated nearly $26 billion to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, created in 2000 to improve equity in global health and learning.
The Foundation has also invested millions into research for an Aids vaccine.
Gates joins other Americans who have also been knighted in the past, such as Bob Hope, Steven Spielberg, Rudolph Giuliani, President Reagan, President Bush, Colin Powell and General Norman Schwarzkopf.
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