Bill Gates is one of the most important innovators of the twentieth century. His technological contributions are responsible for making the personal computer an essential tool for every business. The software developed by his company, Microsoft, is pervasive in the daily lives of human beings all over the world.

His foresight and business acumen helped him amass unimaginable wealth for his company and him personally. He is now dedicated to returning much of his fortune to those in need. Retired from Microsoft’s daily operations, Gates now spends most of his time focused on the philanthropic activities of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

He is highly respected for his opinions on almost any topic. His years of business experience and his passion for cars have also given him some credibility for predicting the direction of the automobile industry.

However, should we be listening to Bill Gates’ car recommendations, or should we place more emphasis on the advice and predictions of experts who have dedicated their careers to the automobile?

Harvard Dropout Makes Good with Microsoft

Bill Gates as a college student at harvard
Via: Business Insider

Most computer users, regardless of the manufacturer they prefer, know that Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft Corporation and wrote the first graphical interface PC Operating system, Windows. However, few know that Gates was a college dropout.

A genius by anyone’s standard, Gates attended an exclusive preparatory school in Seattle, excelling in math, science, English, and drama. He achieved a near perfect score on the college SAT test, and in the fall of 1973, enrolled in Harvard University, with the intention of pursuing a career in law.

Gates spent less time in his classes than in the computer lab. The lure of starting a computer company was too much to resist, so Gates dropped out of college in 1975 and formed Microsoft with his longtime friend, Paul Allen.

Bill Gates Named the Second Richest Man in the World

Bill Gates introduces a new software product at Microsoft
Via: Teknofilo

In 1987, Forbes magazine included Bill Gates on its list of 400 richest people in America. At age 31, he was recognized as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire with a net worth estimated at $1.25 billion (later, in 2008, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg would achieve the honor at 23 years of age).

According to Forbes, the success of Microsoft during the following decade, vaulted Bill Gates to the top of the list of the world’s richest men. Just 39 years of age in 1995, he consistently ranked near or at the top position through 2017, and in 1999 the magazine estimated his net worth to be a staggering $101 billion. In 2018 he lost his number one position to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

Bill Gates Car Collection

Bill Gates Porsche 959
Via: Business Insider

Bill Gates is well known for his computer technology achievements, and in recent years has become a champion for poor and needy people worldwide. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated millions to charitable organizations and, most recently, $150 million for the development of an inexpensive Covid-19 vaccine.

The philanthropist is also a self-proclaimed speed lover with a passion for high-performance cars, Porsche being a favorite.

He has owned a Porsche 911 Carrera, Porsche 930, and the rare Porsche 959 coupe. According to Fame Zone, Gate’s 2020 collection includes a Porsche Taycan ($185,000), Maybach 62S Landaulet ($1.4 million), Tesla Model X ($145,000), Audi R8 ($250,000), Lamborghini Aventador ($600,000), Bugatti Veyron ($1.7 million), Porsche 911 Carrera ($110,000), Porsche 959 Coupe ($150,000), Mercedes Van Marco Polo ($90,000), Cadillac Escalade ($100,000), and a unique Corvette Limo ($100,000).

RELATED: 15 Coolest One-Brand Car Collections In The World

Electric Cars Impact on Global Climate Change

Red Tesla electric car
Via: Edmunds

Gates views the advent of electric cars as just one part of the total effort required to reduce human impact on global climate change.

He states: “Getting to zero (emissions) means all the countries going along in all the different sectors of emissions. So, it’s not enough if you just do passenger cars. But you also have to do industrial and agriculture and other forms of public transport like planes and long-distance trucks.”

While efforts are underway to reduce the impact on the global climate in all sectors, Gates considers passenger cars the most promising.

Gates Identifies the Challenge of Electric Cars

Tesla electric car recharging station
Via: Buyacar

Based on his personal experience with his first electric car, the Porsche Taycan, Gates contends the most significant concern for consumers of electric vehicles is range. While purchase price and maintenance costs are also factors, manufacturers must increase battery life to reduce owner range anxiety.

Gates says, “The range, if you want to go long distance, the pervasiveness of recharging, the time to recharge, compared to filling up a tank of gas, the amount of energy that is going in per minute of filling a gas tank is kind of mind-blowing. Gasoline is very dense energy, 30 times denser than the current lithium batteries,”

Artificial Intelligence and Self-Driving Cars

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for automobiles
Via: FPT TechInsight

Gates questions whether big tech’s fascination with autonomous vehicles is the best application of Artificial Intelligence. He contends, “It has so much demand for liability, for dealing with arbitrary situations that are unexpected, like somebody stops in front of you or the ball rolling out [into the street]…”

Gates says a safe implementation of self-driving cars is at least fifteen years away, but AI in business is much closer and will change software in ways we have not even begun to see.

Within five years, AI in Microsoft’s products will permit them to understand the facts and language of users and their application in business. A software assistant will handle tasks that previously only an experienced human assistant could perform. For example, the software will identify the most essential items in a series of phone messages and emails or contacting people, reserve facilities, and gather information needed for a meeting.

RELATED: Audi Study Finds Global Interest In Self-Driving Cars, But Many Concerns

Gates Chooses Porsche Taycan Over a Tesla

Elon Musk Tesla and Bill Gates Porsche
Via: Marketwatch

When Bill Gates decided to purchase an electric car, his financial well-being gave him unlimited options; the price was not a factor.

No doubt, he spent some time researching the various models available before making his decision, and Tesla was most certainly a finalist. He gave credit to the company, not only for the quality of its products, but also for what the company has done to make electric vehicles mainstream. Gates says, "Tesla, if you had to name one company that's helped drive that, it's them."

However, Gates chose to purchase the Porsche Taycan over a Tesla Model S even though it is four times the price. Although the two cars have similar features, his passion for Porsches was an important factor, “I have to say it's a premium-priced car, but it is very, very cool. That's my first electric car, and I'm enjoying it a lot."

RELATED: Watch A Porsche Taycan Take On A Tesla Model S…In The Rain!

Does Intelligence and Wealth Qualify Gates as a Car Expert?

Bill Gates wealth, houses, airplanes, and cars
Via: Pinterest

Intelligence and wealth alone are not the only criteria required to qualify anyone as an “expert,” A successful business career is also a factor. Those three qualifications and a passion for automobiles (with emphasis on high-performance sports cars), make Bill Gates a trustworthy source of information. Most notably, his insights into the future direction electric cars, alternative vehicles with low impact on global warming, and the implementation of AI for self-driving vehicles are invaluable.

Bill Gates is more than qualified as a car expert.

NEXT: The Story Of The Automotive Hero Bill Gates And His Porsche 959

Sources: biography.com, thehindubusinessline.com, forbes.com, fastcompany.com