50+ Quotes by Bill Gates to Unlock Your Success

Bill Gates is the most influential technology and philanthropist. A legendary visionary and committed innovator, his sprawling contributions to every field have led to countless motivational messages throughout his lifetime.

Gates’ words provide invaluable lessons in succeeding, failing, contrasting business with nonprofit culture, leading and the importance of impact, from his time as a technology entrepreneur to a global philanthropist.

Here are over 50 inspirational Bill Gates quotes to motivate you:

On Success and Ambition

• “Success is a lousy teacher. It entraps intelligent people into believing they can’t lose.”
• “Born poor is not your fault. But if you die poor, you did it to yourself.”
• “Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do, you are insulting yourself.”
• “It’s a high-risk strategy, but to win big sometimes you need to take big risks.”
• “A big factor in success is patience.”
• “I hire a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find them an easy way to do it.”
• “People tend to overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.”

On Innovation and Technology

• “Technology is just a tool. When it comes to getting the kids to work together and motivating them, the teacher is the number one.”
• “The advance of technology is about finding a way to make it fit in enough that you don’t really even notice that it’s a part of everyday life.
• “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.”
• Every move forward is an opportunity to make the world a better place, and innovation is at the core of that progress.
• “Software is a good mix between artistry and engineering.”
• “Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven.”

On Learning and Knowledge

• “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
• “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
• “I’m a great believer that any tool that makes communication easier has huge knock-on effects in terms of how people can learn from each other.”
• And I think by investing in education, we invest in the world of tomorrow.
• “The future of computing is the future of communication.”
• “Life is not fair; get used to it!”

On Leadership and Business

• “The leaders today will be those who empower others.”
• “One of the best ways to be different from your competition is to do information well.”
• But business is a game of money with hardly any rules and tons of risks.
• “Leaders are persons who face challenges, welcome change and lead by example.”
• “Expectations are a kind of first-class truth: If people believe it, it is true.
• “If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you have a boss.”

On Philanthropy and Giving Back

• “I really think with great wealth comes great responsibility.”
• “They’re not just giving money and writing a check; the best philanthropists are the ones who are really sacrificing.
• “Helping others is not just about donating money; it’s about creating an impact.”
• “With great power comes great responsibility.”
• “There is no better investment than in the happiness of others.”
• “My mutex is bigger than your mutex.” (on challenges and how we solve them)
• “We have to spend a lot of money to change behavior.”
• “I did not pass in some subjects in exams, but my friend passed in all. Now he’s an engineer at Microsoft, and I own Microsoft.”
• “Flipping burgers isn’t beneath your dignity. Your grandparents used to have a different word for burger flipping — they called it opportunity.’”
• “If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”

Read more: Deep Sea Fish

On Life and Motivation

• “I have been struck repeatedly by the importance of measurement to improving the human condition.”
• “Be nice to geeks. The odds are over that you’ll end up working for one.
• “We make the future sustainable when we invest in the poor, not when we insist on their suffering.”
• “Knowledge kept is knowledge not used; knowledge shared is knowledge powerful.”
• “The idea that the world is getting worse and that we can’t address extreme poverty or disease is not only mistaken. It’s harmful.”

On the Future

• “I believe in innovation, and the way that you get innovation is you fund research and you learn the basic facts.”
• “There will either be businesses that adopt AI and businesses that get left behind.
• “We’re changing the world with technology.”
• “There is uncertainty always about the future, but working together, we can create a better future.
• “I’m hopeful about AI and excited about what it could do for society.”

Lessons from the Wisdom of Bill Gates

• Persistence is what leads to success. Gates wrote about taking risks and learning from mistakes in order to do something great.
• If education and knowledge are essential, he believes that learning can be transformative.
• Philanthropy matters. Gates encourages us to use what we have and what we know to help others.
• Adapt to change. Why Does Gates Often Remind Us to Innovate?
• Stay humble. Regardless of success, as Gates recognizes, you never reach the end of your learning and growth.

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