When you hear the name Bill Gates you immediately think of a billionaire and philanthropist, one who has thrived in every challenge life has thrown at him. Gates left a university like Harvard and a fixed future to pursue an unachievable dream, which would have seemed futile to anyone at the time. What “history” tells the world is that Gates persevered through trials time and time again, to single-handedly build an empire known throughout the world as Microsoft. What many don't know is that Bill Gates had advantages over all his peers (e.g. Steve Jobs) during his 'odyssey'. These rewards influenced Gates' progress and his eventual triumph as a technology mogul. As a child, Bill Gates was raised to believe that winning was everything, no matter what the cost. “It didn't matter if it was hearts, pickleball or swimming to the dock… there was always a reward for winning and there was always a penalty for losing.” (Manes 18) This led him to want to thrive above all of his fellow students, which caused his wealthy family to move him to an exclusive elementary school. Gates' school purchased an ASR terminal, and his interest in programming allowed him to be excused from math class to satisfy his curiosity, a privilege not afforded the typical student. Furthermore, this privilege gave him the opportunity to tinker with the ASR terminal (a device available to few at the time) and to hone his security system expertise so he could restart the counter that tracked the use of the computer (giving him much more time than any of his peers) and even crash the terminal for fun. Furthermore, when he was captured by the company, his family's wealth and influence provided him with protection. Furthermore, the normal sch...... middle of paper ......and had poor social skills and would never felt the need to become a bouncer, and would have preferred to use. his intelligence perhaps to achieve greater success than Gates has now. But in Gates' defense, not many people have the same drive to succeed and use everything they've been given effectively. Time and again, Bill Gates' advantages have encouraged him to thrive in life and gain the mantle of success. He was awarded a knighthood (an honor given only to people who have "worked" and excelled in their profession) by the Queen of England. Furthermore, when he faced arrest, his wealthy family came to protect him once again. The timing of Gates' birth was also fortunate as he came of age later than the beginning of the information age. The story of William Henry Gates III illustrates how opportunity far outweighs talent. Just ask Christopher Langan.