I've always been a fan of Bill Gates. He changed the way we look at personal computing and provided an environment in which software development was widely encouraged. He didn't create a perfect environment, and Microsoft has made a few mis-steps at times, but they certainly changed the world. Mr. Gates is also a great speaker, and I had the chance to see him live twice, where he delivered a fascinating keynote that entertained and inspired me.

He left Microsoft as a full time employee in 2008, and has moved on to working with the Gates Foundation. His missions there, along with his wife, Melinda, is to improve people's lives. The foundation has primarily focused on ending disease and hunger in developing countries, and to date has done some very good work for millions around the globe. I ran across an infographic recently that talks about philanthropy and have reprinted a portion here:

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