7. Bill Gates
As a major entrepreneur of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, Bill Gates’ impact on the world is apparent every time you turn on your computer or smartphone. Coding his first computer software program at the young age of 13, Gates would make his fortune by co-founding Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest personal computer software company. However, his interests extend far beyond computers as he now runs the world’s largest private charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
His shift into philanthropy has seen him become the Internet’s favorite bogeyman, with conspiracy theorists insisting he’s trying to microchip the world, and his recent involvement in the vaccination programs to combat COVID-19 has only seen those accusations grow. In reality, given sizable amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs, helping among other things, to eradicate wild poliovirus in Africa.
His foundation continues to support global health initiatives like improving global sanitation and working to eradicate other deadly diseases such as malaria and AIDS.
