Microsoft boss receives knighthood

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 3 Mar 2005 at 11:15

Bill Gates received his honourary knighthood yesterday for his business skills and his charitable work.

He will not be able to use the title 'Sir', as he is not British, but will suffix the letters KBE after his name.

He arrived in London yesterday with his wife Melinda to receive an insignia, making him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Gates was commended by the Foreign Office for his 'contributions to improving health and reducing poverty in parts of the Commonwealth and elsewhere in the developing world. Gates also was recognized for his contribution to enterprise, employment, education and the voluntary sector in the United Kingdom'.

He described the Queen after his meeting as 'very nice'. He said she was not an avid Windows user, saying that typing was not as natural for her as it was for younger people.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has put nearly $5bn into reducing world poverty and finding a cure for AIDS.

Previous US citizens receiving honorary knighthoods include former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and entertainer Bob Hope.

Gates said in a statement: 'This honor is particularly poignant given the deep connections Microsoft enjoys with the United Kingdom. Over the past 23 years we have benefited greatly from strong business alliances and the tremendous wealth of talent and creativity of our U.K. employees and researchers. The U.K. was the first country in which Microsoft set up a subsidiary outside the U.S., and our experience in the U.K. has been significant in shaping our international growth. The companies and organizations that we have supported and partnered with since, and their employees, have been an important part of the positive impact technology has had on economic growth and on the lives of people in the U.K. I am proud of this special relationship and the role we have helped to play in the development of the U.K. technology industry.'