Penguin Random House imprints Knopf in the US and Allen Lane in the UK are to publish the memoirs of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in February 2025. Entitled Source Code, Gates says: “It’s a memoir about my early years, from childhood through my decision to leave college and start Microsoft with Paul Allen. I write about the relationships, lessons, and experiences that laid the foundation for everything in my life that followed.
He continues: “I’ve been in the public eye since my early twenties, but much of my life before then isn’t well known. Over the years, I’ve often been asked about my upbringing, my time at Harvard, and co-founding the company. Those questions made me realize that people might be interested in my journey and the factors that influenced it.
In the book, I share some of the tougher parts of my early life, including feeling like a misfit as a kid, butting heads with my parents as a rebellious teen, grappling with the sudden loss of someone close to me, and nearly getting kicked out of college. And I cover the challenges of dropping out of school to make a bet on an industry that didn’t really exist yet.
“But throughout it, you’ll also find the stories of the many people who believed in me, pushed me to grow, and helped me turn my quirks into strengths. And I reflect on the luck I had to be born to a great family in a time of historic technological change and optimism, and to come of age just as the personal computer revolution was taking off. Source Code is my origin story, and I’m looking forward to sharing it.”
The author’s proceeds will be donated to United Way Worldwide, a nonprofit organization which holds a meaningful connection for Gates. His mother, Mary Gates, was a volunteer with United Way for more than a decade and served as a board member of United Way of King County in Seattle, as well as United Way International. In the UK, United Way establishes ‘reading oases’ in schools where more than 30% of children receive free school meals. It works with partner Scholastic to provide books for dedicated reading spaces.
