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{"type":"model_change","id":"16541a31","parentId":null,"timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:21:42.070Z","provider":"llamafiles","modelId":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M"}
{"type":"thinking_level_change","id":"6cf75440","parentId":"16541a31","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:21:42.070Z","thinkingLevel":"medium"}
{"type":"message","id":"8e26e92b","parentId":"6cf75440","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:21:46.358Z","message":{"role":"user","content":[{"type":"text","text":"can you find bill gates quote about him not caring that his products were copied, he just wanted them to be the most copied in the world?"}],"timestamp":1779610906353}}
{"type":"message","id":"e96031d2","parentId":"8e26e92b","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:01.140Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"The user is asking about a famous Bill Gates quote regarding copying his products. I should search the web to find this quote and verify its accuracy.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"0KRvNu2O6cJvvGkKaICGJZv1l6g3I4SU","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates quote \"most copied in the world\" products copied"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":2322,"output":69,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":2391,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610906396,"responseId":"chatcmpl-pQ8tyuZI6v0mXgpau2qPxr7hhsLWAmWM","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"503cc1d4","parentId":"e96031d2","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:02.013Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"0KRvNu2O6cJvvGkKaICGJZv1l6g3I4SU","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Uplift Cinema: The Emergence of African American Film and the ...**\n   https://dokumen.pub/uplift-cinema-the-emergence-of-african-american-film-and-the-possibility-of-black-modernity-9780822375555.html\n   Foster proclaimed: “His songs and dances are the most copied in the world—he fits right into this new age of affairs.” As an argument for his production ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjie7mjl8iekc","resultCount":1,"query":"Bill Gates quote \"most copied in the world\" products copied"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610922013}}
{"type":"message","id":"17154e5f","parentId":"503cc1d4","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:05.306Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"That search didn't find the specific quote. Let me try a different search.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"Lpks8RW4Xs2KcmMA3iLBcu0m1SHDfs3D","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates quote \"most copied\" software piracy copying products"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":115,"output":55,"cacheRead":2390,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":2560,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610922014,"responseId":"chatcmpl-asMGRRawBpXJiVchZant6h91MvtH5WbC","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"d10cfc96","parentId":"17154e5f","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:05.700Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"Lpks8RW4Xs2KcmMA3iLBcu0m1SHDfs3D","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **A person can copy everything but he cannot copy someone's art ...**\n   https://www.facebook.com/groups/1758355491027505/posts/2467375960125451/\n   31 Aug 2024 · “Copycats No work of art arrives from nothing, of course. Manet's Déjeuner sur l'herbe, one of the grandest and most copied works of western art ...\n\n2. **[PDF] IN PRAISE OF COPYING**\n   http://klangable.com/uploads/books/Boon_text_final.pdf\n   legal copies of Louis Vuitton's products.1. Vuitton handbags have been called the most copied objects in the world.2 This statement, part of the folklore of ...\n\n3. **[PDF] In Praise of Copying**\n   http://www.ocopy.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/boon-marcus_in-praise-of-copying.pdf\n   legal copies of Louis Vuitton's products.1. Vuitton handbags have been called the most copied objects in the world.2 This statement, part of the folklore of ...\n\n4. **What made other operating systems similar to MS-DOS in terms of being ...**\n   https://www.quora.com/What-made-other-operating-systems-similar-to-MS-DOS-in-terms-of-being-lightweight-and-why-didnt-they-become-more-popular\n   13 May 2026 · TRON/ITRON used to be the OS with the most copied around in the nineties, but many people thought Windows had earned that title. In the ...\n\n5. **Lords Chamber - Hansard - UK Parliament**\n   https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2013-12-04/debates/b21a52a2-ac8b-4f03-bb5f-4a1489fd49b8/LordsChamber\n   4 Dec 2013 · As we know, they were both commissioners of the largest, most envied and most copied police service in the western world, the London ...\n\n6. **GitHub is sued, and we may learn something about Creative ...**\n   https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34274326\n   6 Jan 2023 · In fact one of the first things that Bill Gates ever did ... To be fair, that's probably one of the most copied pieces of code already.\n\n7. **[PDF] see It - ERIC**\n   https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED160122.pdf\n   31 Jul 1978 · 3) to assure that rightful possessors copies of computer programs can use or adapt these copies -for tIldtruse. ... most copied inor by libraries ...\n\n8. **Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software**\n   https://www.academia.edu/310597/Decoding_Liberation_The_Promise_of_Free_and_Open_Source_Software\n   This utility is reflected by its place in computer science legend, which holds it is the most-copied book in computer science. Lions's book became illegal ...\n\n9. **[PDF] genealogica & heraldica xxxv - The Heraldry Society**\n   https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Genealogica-Heraldica-XXXV_optimized.pdf\n   ... most copied armorial, though all except two were made in the sixteenth century or later. There are also fifteen transcriptions, editions or websites. A ...\n\n10. **[PDF] CAPS-LOCK.pdf - freight.cargo.si...**\n   https://freight.cargo.site/m/M1799142081931301966541254645983/CAPS-LOCK.pdf\n   most copied US election items ever. After the election, designer. Michael ... Chennai schoolchildren hold portraits of Bill Gates to mark his 60th birthday, 2015."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjieagzu1w2f6","resultCount":10,"query":"Bill Gates quote \"most copied\" software piracy copying products"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610925699}}
{"type":"message","id":"e80bd011","parentId":"d10cfc96","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:12.403Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try a more specific search for this quote.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"mOyNqUJAhTjn8ZJlrkIhjjK5oFcnQf4e","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates \"don't care\" copied \"most copied in the world\""}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":939,"output":54,"cacheRead":2559,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":3552,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610925701,"responseId":"chatcmpl-vs6nPuhaiki4ApxtdLRoxCHigjfqI1Dh","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"8a167283","parentId":"e80bd011","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:13.227Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"mOyNqUJAhTjn8ZJlrkIhjjK5oFcnQf4e","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **What is making so many Canadians leave Canada? - Quora**\n   https://www.quora.com/What-is-making-so-many-Canadians-leave-Canada\n   21 Dec 2023 · ... don't care if we arent the biggest or the best or have 286 gold ... most copied in the world. A Canadian wrote the UN declaration of ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiega2zetxap","resultCount":1,"query":"Bill Gates \"don't care\" copied \"most copied in the world\""},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610933227}}
{"type":"message","id":"746a4a73","parentId":"8a167283","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:16.476Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"That didn't help either. Let me try another approach searching for the quote itself.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"Eus3t4wdUZn6PupbakTcV09VimPD0Lrl","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates quote copied \"world's most copied\" software"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":100,"output":56,"cacheRead":3551,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":3707,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610933228,"responseId":"chatcmpl-nY722CjHMLMgKQBRQeVT4F3OkI3uzJ2c","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"86540d2c","parentId":"746a4a73","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:16.791Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"Eus3t4wdUZn6PupbakTcV09VimPD0Lrl","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **[PDF] Humongous Sage Hen OLD TIMER - RC Bookcase**\n   https://rcbookcase.com/data/media/4/05MB_May_1989.pdf\n   1 May 1989 · .35, the world's most copied model airplane engine. The anniversary engine, identified as 13500 35 Fox Stunt, retails for $59.95, in cluding ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiej13zjix0z","resultCount":1,"query":"Bill Gates quote copied \"world's most copied\" software"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610936791}}
{"type":"message","id":"a4ed0f6c","parentId":"86540d2c","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:20.712Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try a different search approach - searching for the specific sentiment or paraphrase of the quote.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"qxNGuxG32nFHnDUNvdpfJSGBL1t4Lmgz","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates software piracy quote don't mind if someone steals software as long as ours is the most stolen"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":114,"output":68,"cacheRead":3706,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":3888,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610936793,"responseId":"chatcmpl-s7uqpYZf86mVZpzdneHN7cLZsntScrm2","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"f8e55a38","parentId":"a4ed0f6c","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:21.459Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"qxNGuxG32nFHnDUNvdpfJSGBL1t4Lmgz","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Is it OK to steal from Bill Gates? - Faith Syndicated**\n   https://faithsyndicated.org/it-ok-steal-bill-gates\n   1 Oct 2004 · Basically, software piracy is wrong because God said not to steal. ... We have to do a better job when teaching our kids about stealing/cheating:.Missing: quote mind\n\n2. **Open letter from an angry Bill Gates in 1976 after Microsoft's first software ...**\n   https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/9s3v9/most_of_you_steal_your_software_open_letter_from/\n   8 Oct 2009 · ... (on paper tape) is pirated. \"Most of you steal your software\" - Open letter from an angry Bill Gates. lettersofnote.com. Upvote 61. DownvoteMissing: quote | Show results with:quote\n\n3. **When 20-Year-Old Bill Gates Fought the World's First Software Pirates**\n   https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/02/01/1915221/when-20-year-old-bill-gates-fought-the-worlds-first-software-pirates\n   1 Feb 2026 · Gates railed in 1976 that \"Most of you steal your software.\" Gates ... The \" piracy\" and \"theft\" narrative was pushed by Gates and Co.Missing: quote | Show results with:quote\n\n4. **My Software Is Being Pirated - Coding Horror**\n   https://blog.codinghorror.com/my-software-is-being-pirated/\n   27 Dec 2008 · I can undertand stealing food if you're hungry but stealing ... But every time they raise prices they drive more people to steal their product.Missing: quote | Show results with:quote\n\n5. **Why is Bill Gates allowing to run pirated Windows all over the world ...**\n   https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Bill-Gates-allowing-to-run-pirated-Windows-all-over-the-world-when-he-could-infect-them-all-at-once-in-just-a-minute\n   11 May 2015 · \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. ... By having more than a billion people stealing their software ...\n\n6. **Episode 17.5 - Bill's Problem with Piracy - YouTube**\n   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdZshb90u8o\n   24 Nov 2019 · In this mini-episode we look at a strange event in Microsoft's early history and their first case of piracy. Along the way you will learn ...Missing: Gates software quote don't mind if s...\n\n7. **Bill Gates complained about software piracy 50 years ago, and was ...**\n   https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/most-of-you-steal-your-software-bill-gates-complained-about-software-piracy-50-years-ago-and-was-openly-irked-by-communitys-altair-basic-theft/ar-AA1VFkom?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1\n   4 Feb 2026 · 'Most of you steal your software' — Bill Gates complained about software piracy 50 years ago, and was openly irked by community's Altair BASIC ' ...Missing: quote don't mind\n\n8. **An Open Letter to Hobbyists - Wikipedia**\n   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists\n   ... stealing from him personally, and not from a corporation. Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware ...\n\n9. **Bill Gates politely asking people not to copy his software... - Facebook**\n   https://www.facebook.com/groups/retrocomputers/posts/2093061594057044/\n   29 Jun 2018 · what some do not know is that Bill Gates was also accused of \"stealing ... As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiemmro8lzc5","resultCount":9,"query":"Bill Gates software piracy quote don't mind if someone steals software as long as ours is the most stolen"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610941459}}
{"type":"message","id":"6e0a50cb","parentId":"f8e55a38","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:30.174Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I found a Quora result that mentions: \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.\" Let me search more specifically for that quote to find its source and verify its accuracy.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"vfIDHC8vJ6BbyrJl7JVQ4uRPUmycdGae","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates \"as long as they're going to steal it\" \"we want them to steal ours\" Microsoft"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":961,"output":95,"cacheRead":3887,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":4943,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779610941461,"responseId":"chatcmpl-NYg0g1t7D9HHt3lyH2tDxVXwXQbenjOd","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"6b85a5e9","parentId":"6e0a50cb","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:30.934Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"vfIDHC8vJ6BbyrJl7JVQ4uRPUmycdGae","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Reminds me of that Bill Gates quote from 1998 - Hacker News**\n   https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25249808\n   Someday they will, though,\" Gates told an audience at the University of Washington. \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.\n\n2. **Why is Bill Gates allowing to run pirated Windows all over the world ...**\n   https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Bill-Gates-allowing-to-run-pirated-Windows-all-over-the-world-when-he-could-infect-them-all-at-once-in-just-a-minute\n   11 May 2015 · \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. ... Microsoft's Bill Gates “Steps Up” To New Role As Technology ...\n\n3. **Bill Gates once expressed a similar view about rampant piracy of ...**\n   https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40708861\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect ...\n\n4. **Software Piracy Cause Of Microsoft Monopoly - C2 Wiki**\n   https://wiki.c2.com/?SoftwarePiracyCauseOfMicrosoftMonopoly\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect ...\n\n5. **The Stockholm Syndrome and Addiction to Microsoft - OS-SCi**\n   https://os-sci.com/blog/our-blog-posts-1/the-stockholm-syndrome-and-addiction-to-microsoft-158\n   Bill Gates himself acknowledged in a 1998 memo that “as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and ...\n\n6. **Piracy sells - TechnoLlama**\n   https://www.technollama.co.uk/piracy-sells\n   13 Apr 2006 · Bill Gates commented in 1998: “Although about 3 million computers ... And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.\n\n7. **Isn't it illegal to pirate Windows? Will Microsoft sue us? Let us explain ...**\n   https://www.facebook.com/LinusTech/posts/isnt-it-illegal-to-pirate-windows-will-microsoft-sue-us-let-us-explainltt-classi/364575171704887/\n   28 Jun 2021 · Bill Gates told an audience at the University of Washington \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll ...\n\n8. **Why doesn't Microsoft investigate piracy? Is it because you have no ...**\n   https://www.zhihu.com/en/answer/2808430412\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect ...\n\n9. **How Piracy Opens Doors for Windows - Los Angeles Times**\n   https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-fi-micropiracy9-story.html\n   9 Apr 2006 · “And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to ...\n\n10. **Microsoft suing Brazilian official [LWN.net]**\n   https://lwn.net/Articles/90452/\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjietxxix6s2i","resultCount":10,"query":"Bill Gates \"as long as they're going to steal it\" \"we want them to steal ours\" Microsoft"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779610950934}}
{"type":"message","id":"5b270d37","parentId":"6b85a5e9","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:22:46.023Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I found the quote. Let me get more details from one of these sources to provide the full context.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"text","text":"I found it. Here's the quote from Bill Gates, reported from a **1998 speech at the University of Washington**:\n\n> **\"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect money from them later.\"**\n\nThe broader context was about Microsoft's strategy regarding software piracy in developing countries (particularly China, where Gates noted about 3 million computers were in use, almost all running pirated copies). His reasoning was that if people were going to use pirated software anyway, Microsoft would rather they pirate *Windows* — getting them used to the ecosystem — so that eventually, as those markets grew wealthier and enforcement improved, they'd become paying customers.\n\nThis quote is widely cited in sources like the Los Angeles Times (2006), LWN.net, and various tech discussions. It's one of the most famous examples of a company openly acknowledging that piracy can serve as an acquisition strategy."}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":889,"output":235,"cacheRead":4942,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":6066,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"stop","timestamp":1779610950935,"responseId":"chatcmpl-kf16isrN3MRPEnBwgYVietY1QiujU05O","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"89f974df","parentId":"5b270d37","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:23:00.799Z","message":{"role":"user","content":[{"type":"text","text":"cool, give me the sources"}],"timestamp":1779610980798}}
{"type":"message","id":"d64dcdc3","parentId":"89f974df","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:23:31.828Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"The user wants the sources for the Bill Gates quote I provided. I already have the search results that point to several sources. Let me list them clearly with links from the search results.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"text","text":"Here are the key sources for the quote:\n\n1. **Los Angeles Times** (April 9, 2006) – \"How Piracy Opens Doors for Windows\"\n   https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-fi-micropiracy9-story.html\n\n2. **LWN.net** – \"Microsoft suing Brazilian official\"\n   https://lwn.net/Articles/90452/\n\n3. **TechnoLlama** (April 13, 2006) – \"Piracy sells\"\n   https://www.technollama.co.uk/piracy-sells\n\n4. **C2 Wiki** – \"SoftwarePiracyCauseOfMicrosoftMonopoly\"\n   https://wiki.c2.com/?SoftwarePiracyCauseOfMicrosoftMonopoly\n\n5. **Hacker News** discussion – \"Reminds me of that Bill Gates quote from 1998\"\n   https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25249808\n\nThe quote originated from a **1998 talk Bill Gates gave at the University of Washington**, where he discussed Microsoft's approach to piracy in China and other developing markets. The LA Times and TechnoLlama articles are among the most widely cited journalistic sources that published it."}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":3571,"output":329,"cacheRead":2318,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":6218,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"stop","timestamp":1779610980801,"responseId":"chatcmpl-XxT1L2eYeaHIE6PokkN3j2LgNBt1rUqv","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"64e55524","parentId":"d64dcdc3","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:01.079Z","message":{"role":"user","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Can you find the original source (e.g. the 1998 talk or Fortune Magazine, July 20th, 1998)?"}],"timestamp":1779611101078}}
{"type":"message","id":"fc9a43eb","parentId":"64e55524","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:07.684Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"The user is asking for the original source of the quote - specifically mentioning a 1998 talk or Fortune Magazine from July 20th, 1998. Let me search for more specific information about the original source.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"XtnjtffqyJEg12G8pUY5AxUpukj9qgHr","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates \"University of Washington\" 1998 speech \"as long as they're going to steal it\" Fortune Magazine"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":335,"output":103,"cacheRead":5885,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":6323,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611101080,"responseId":"chatcmpl-BNtgeCFQlP95e3dyF2fkmG6X65Y00wGX","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"da34162b","parentId":"fc9a43eb","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:09.041Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"XtnjtffqyJEg12G8pUY5AxUpukj9qgHr","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Bill Gates quote: About three million computers get sold every year in ...**\n   https://www.azquotes.com/quote/689355\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll ... Bill Gates' Speech at the University of Washington, archive.fortune.com.Missing: Magazine | Show results with:Magazine\n\n2. **Why is Bill Gates allowing to run pirated Windows all over the world ...**\n   https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Bill-Gates-allowing-to-run-pirated-Windows-all-over-the-world-when-he-could-infect-them-all-at-once-in-just-a-minute\n   11 May 2015 · Someday they will, though,\" Gates told an audience at the University of Washington. \"And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them ...\n\n3. **View of Free software: Some Brazilian translations | First Monday**\n   https://www.firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1189/1109\n   ... com ... And as long as they're going to steal it, we want ... \" Bill Gates, address to University of Washington business school students, quoted on 20 July 1998 in ...\n\n4. **Why doesn't Microsoft investigate piracy? Is it because you have no ...**\n   https://www.zhihu.com/en/answer/2808430412\n   The original text comes from Bill Gates' 1998 speech at the University of Washington: ... And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ...Missing: Fortune Magazine\n\n5. **[PDF] The Bill & Warren Show - Tilson Funds**\n   https://tilsonfunds.com/Bill&WarrenShow.pdf\n   20 Jul 1998 · And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to ...Missing: Magazine | Show results with:Maga...\n\n6. **[PDF] The Industrial College of the Armed Forces National Defense ...**\n   https://www.hsdl.org/c/view?docid=233947\n   Bill Gates, speaking at the. University of Washington in 1998 stated, “As long as they're going to steal it [software], we want them to steal ours. They'll ...\n\n7. **Microsoft Copilot just helped me pirate Windows 11 — Here's proof**\n   https://www.laptopmag.com/ai/microsoft-copilot-is-actively-helping-users-pirate-windows-heres-proof\n   27 Feb 2025 · During a public talk at the University of Washington in 1998, Microsoft founder Bill ... And as long as they're going to steal it, we want ...Missing: Magazine | Show results with:Magazi...\n\n8. **How Software Piracy In Developing Markets Creates New ... - Techdirt.**\n   https://www.techdirt.com/2012/12/03/how-software-piracy-developing-markets-creates-new-customers/\n   ... Gates told an audience at the University of Washington. “And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted ...\n\n9. **Bill Gates Quotes About Money**\n   https://www.azquotes.com/author/5382-Bill_Gates/tag/money\n   And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll ... Bill Gates' Speech at the University of Washington, archive.fortune.com.\n\n10. **[PDF] Fansubs and Market Access of Foreign Audiovisual Products in ...**\n   https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36693301.pdf\n   Someday they will, though,” Gates told an audience at the University of Washington. “And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjii7xtpngcw9","resultCount":10,"query":"Bill Gates \"University of Washington\" 1998 speech \"as long as they're going to steal it\" Fortune Magazine"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611109041}}
{"type":"message","id":"9f75a105","parentId":"da34162b","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:19.555Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I can see references to:\n1. Fortune Magazine (archive.fortune.com) - July 20, 1998\n2. A speech at the University of Washington in 1998\n3. First Monday article mentions \"quoted on 20 July 1998 in...\"\n\nLet me try to find the Fortune Magazine archive link and the original speech.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"OZEnogxZsrahMBOtBpPZl29dBIYND1tF","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"Bill Gates speech University of Washington July 1998 \"China\" \"three million computers\" full text"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":905,"output":132,"cacheRead":6322,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":7359,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611109043,"responseId":"chatcmpl-Tr0A63ShVsv6yZTfGlUqdVv0hJanChU8","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"868e777b","parentId":"9f75a105","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:20.200Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"OZEnogxZsrahMBOtBpPZl29dBIYND1tF","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Bill Gates quote: About three million computers get sold every year in ...**\n   https://www.azquotes.com/quote/689355\n   About three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal ...\n\n2. **Bill Gates A Biography (Becraft Michael) (Z-Library) | PDF - Scribd**\n   https://www.scribd.com/document/706785351/Bill-Gates-a-Biography-Becraft-Michael-Z-Library\n   “About three million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software. Someday, they will, though. As long as they are going to ...\n\n3. **[PDF] Bill Gates - dokumen.pub**\n   https://dokumen.pub/download/impatient-optimist-bill-gates-in-his-own-words-in-their-own-words-9781932841718-1932841717-9781572847040-1572847042.html\n   ABOUT THREE MILLION computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to ...Missing: text | Show results with:text\n\n4. **Beijing and Microsoft Battle over the Opening of China's Gates**\n   https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237614043_China_Multinational_Corporations_and_Globalization_Beijing_and_Microsoft_Battle_over_the_Opening_of_China's_Gates\n   ... Bill Gates. 1998 statement that “although about three million computers get. sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. . . . Someday they ...\n\n5. **China, Multinational Corporations, and Globalization - Project MUSE**\n   https://muse.jhu.edu/article/784392\n   1998 statement that \"although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. . . . Someday they will... as ...\n\n6. **Bill Gates Quotes About Computers**\n   https://www.azquotes.com/author/5382-Bill_Gates/tag/computer\n   About three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. ... Bill Gates' Speech at the University of Washington ...\n\n7. **[PDF] Copyright and DRM**\n   https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/archive/rja14/Papers/SEv2-c22.pdf\n   One of Bill's more revealing sayings is: Although about three million computers get sold every year in. China, people don't pay for the software. Someday ...\n\n8. **Copyright infringement | Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki - Fandom**\n   https://ultimatepopculture.fandom.com/wiki/Copyright_infringement\n   Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. ... ↑ Gates, Bill (July 20, 1998). \"The Bill ...\n\n9. **[PDF] Copyright infringement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia**\n   http://openscience.ens.fr/OTHER/WIKIPEDIA/Copyright_Infringement_Wikipedia.pdf\n   25 Apr 2016 · Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as ...\n\n10. **What are the best Bill Gates quotes? - Quora**\n   https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-Bill-Gates-quotes\n   24 Nov 2012 · Bill Gates, in full William Henry Gates ... - About three million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiigjs9j3bmm","resultCount":10,"query":"Bill Gates speech University of Washington July 1998 \"China\" \"three million computers\" full text"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611120200}}
{"type":"message","id":"f4786d3b","parentId":"868e777b","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:32.379Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I see references to:\n1. Fortune Magazine, July 20, 1998 - \"The Bill & Warren Show\"\n2. The Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki mentions: \"Gates, Bill (July 20, 1998). 'The Bill ...'\"\n3. There's a PDF reference to \"The Bill & Warren Show - Tilson Funds\" dated July 20, 1998\n\nLet me search for the Fortune Magazine \"Bill & Warren Show\" which was a Q&A format where Bill Gates and Warren Buffett answered questions.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"4Eqoirzdt6Nf9BfqCkVM0lB8d5398lso","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Fortune 1998 Bill Gates \"three million computers\" China"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":885,"output":169,"cacheRead":7358,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":8412,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611120202,"responseId":"chatcmpl-15J8oXJ4IbvoK1qo2GwTkyVdBX1p7hun","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"91a7dc0a","parentId":"f4786d3b","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:32.917Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"4Eqoirzdt6Nf9BfqCkVM0lB8d5398lso","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **[PDF] The case against micropayments - SciSpace**\n   https://scispace.com/pdf/the-case-against-micropayments-1f4thodpw3.pdf\n   As one example, Bill Gates said in 1998 [17]:. Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, ... Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show.\n\n2. **LNCS 2742 - Financial Cryptography - Springer**\n   https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-540-45126-6.pdf\n   As one example, Bill Gates said in 1998 [17]:. Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, ... Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show.\n\n3. **Business The Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets Of The World's Richest ...**\n   https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0\n   Schlender, Brent, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. Stross ... “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China ...\n\n4. **[PDF] Business the Bill Gates Way - epdf.pub**\n   https://epdf.pub/download/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader.html\n   3 Schlender, Brent, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. 4 ... “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China,."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiiqd0ye62o3","resultCount":4,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Fortune 1998 Bill Gates \"three million computers\" China"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611132916}}
{"type":"message","id":"2a17fb02","parentId":"91a7dc0a","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:40.897Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Now I have a clearer picture. The quote appears to come from \"The Bill and Warren Show\" which was published in Fortune Magazine on July 20, 1998, written by Brent Schlender. This was a Q&A format where Bill Gates and Warren Buffett answered questions from readers.\n\nLet me try to find the actual article or a cached version of it.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"ISduqmzkLASvPLkdK8P433KtNzxW3scS","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"The Bill and Warren Show\" Fortune July 20 1998 Schlender archive"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":401,"output":124,"cacheRead":8411,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":8936,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611132918,"responseId":"chatcmpl-D4OrKFKeHRpXeYra4Zr5kLqPutb7GSba","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"80b6167a","parentId":"2a17fb02","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:41.369Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"ISduqmzkLASvPLkdK8P433KtNzxW3scS","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in ...**\n   https://dokumen.pub/more-than-you-know-finding-financial-wisdom-in-unconventional-places-updated-and-expanded-9780231513470.html\n   Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. 6. Charlie Munger, “A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom As It Relates to Investment ...\n\n2. **Books: Edward Thorp**\n   https://edwardbetts.com/monograph/Edward_Thorp\n   5 Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. 6 Charlie Munger, “A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom As It Relates to Investment ...\n\n3. **Больше, чем вы знаете. Необычный взгляд на мир финансов ...**\n   https://loveread.ec/read_book.php?id=66180&p=84\n   Schlender, Brent. “The Bill and Warren Show.” Fortune, July 20, 1998, 48–64. Schwartz, Peter. Inevitable Surprises: Thinking Ahead in a Time of Turbulence ...\n\n4. **Notes - De Gruyter Brill**\n   https://www.degruyterbrill.com/_language/de?uri=%2Fde%2Fdocument%2Fdoi%2F10.7312%2Fmaub14372-044%2Fhtml&srsltid=AfmBOorV49sm6V0KNHajIkDxGjhEFeK1gmKjAlFWG9XahUVe-dMgRFik\n   Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune , July 20, 1998. 6. Charlie Munger, “A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom As It Relates to Investment ...\n\n5. **Expectations Investing by Alfred Rappaport, Michael J. Mauboussin**\n   https://www.scribd.com/document/506197911/Expectations-Investing-by-Alfred-Rappaport-Michael-J-Mauboussin-Z-lib-org\n   Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, 20 July 1998, 48–64. 3. Paul M. Romer, “Endogenous Technological Change,” Journal of Political Economy ...\n\n6. **the-great-mental-models - Flipbook by Manjunath Reddy | FlipHTML5**\n   https://fliphtml5.com/zlopd/rjvv/the-great-mental-models/\n   Schlender, Brent. “The Bill and Warren Show.“ Fortune, July 20, 1998. Retrieved from: http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07 ...\n\n7. **[PDF] FS_ Book1_GTC_D_05_Sep17 - AWS**\n   https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/fsbooks/the+great+mental+models/1+general+thinking+concepts/FS_Book_Page17.pdf\n   “The Bill and Warren Show.“ Fortune, July 20, 1998. Retrieved from: http://archive.for- tune.com/magazines/fortune/for- tune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/.\n\n8. **Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2013**\n   https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tap-dancing-to-work-carol-j-loomis/1116600461\n   The Bill and Warren Show-July 20, 1998 Edited Brent Schlender 133. A House Built on Sand- October 26, 1998 Carol Loomis 152. Are Jimmy and Warren Buffett ...\n\n9. **Expectations Investing 1578512522, 2001024378 - DOKUMEN.PUB**\n   https://dokumen.pub/expectations-investing-1578512522-2001024378.html\n   Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, 20 July 1998, 48–64. 3. Paul M. Romer, “Endogenous Technological Change,” Journal of Political Economy ...\n\n10. **Expectations Investing Reading Stock | PDF - Scribd**\n   https://www.scribd.com/document/616871552/Expectations-investing-reading-stock\n   Rating 5.0(5)Brent Schlender, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, 20 July 1998, 48–64. 3. Paul M. Romer, “Endogenous Technological Change,” Journal of Political Economy ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjiiwvsazf9xa","resultCount":10,"query":"\"The Bill and Warren Show\" Fortune July 20 1998 Schlender archive"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611141369}}
{"type":"message","id":"b62edf85","parentId":"80b6167a","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:52.027Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I found the archive link! Let me try to fetch it:\nhttp://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"awJSJ9qKNXtmwhe0zE5Tk1C3JsRb7kh6","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":1154,"output":110,"cacheRead":8935,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10199,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611141370,"responseId":"chatcmpl-zTdhhYl1KLj8MLZsgBENH0xqaGjDHZbU","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"a7ef6af4","parentId":"b62edf85","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:52.815Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"awJSJ9qKNXtmwhe0zE5Tk1C3JsRb7kh6","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Error: HTTP 400"}],"details":{"error":"HTTP 400"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611152814}}
{"type":"message","id":"6b05a342","parentId":"a7ef6af4","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:57.124Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"The Fortune archive page returned a 400 error. Let me try to search for the full text of the article or cached versions.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"XUUgmRbeaDTtH4bSJHmyUxvbYssdx4g2","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune.com 1998 \"China\" \"software\" \"three million\" full text"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":23,"output":81,"cacheRead":10198,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10302,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611152816,"responseId":"chatcmpl-LwnKz8ce7YY5kUsDiRIbJePP1lPNF1ye","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"e351f04c","parentId":"6b05a342","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:25:57.922Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"XUUgmRbeaDTtH4bSJHmyUxvbYssdx4g2","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **LNCS 2742 - Financial Cryptography - Springer**\n   https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-540-45126-6.pdf\n   As one example, Bill Gates said in 1998 [17]:. Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjij9nmc00d7p","resultCount":1,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune.com 1998 \"China\" \"software\" \"three million\" full text"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611157922}}
{"type":"message","id":"f1f7ea09","parentId":"e351f04c","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:01.938Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try a different approach - searching for the web archive or cached version of the Fortune article.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"L6cWlNxuTC07qRNfm0AqeYLIkyE1GgrO","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"web.archive.org fortune.com \"Bill and Warren Show\" 1998 Gates China software"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":112,"output":67,"cacheRead":10301,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10480,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611157924,"responseId":"chatcmpl-09qXb7b1l2p27ntADDHlzQr5NmWkSvre","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"326a8958","parentId":"f1f7ea09","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:02.461Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"L6cWlNxuTC07qRNfm0AqeYLIkyE1GgrO","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Business The Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets Of The World's Richest ...**\n   https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0\n   Schlender, Brent, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. Stross ... China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjijd5ocoz5jq","resultCount":1,"query":"web.archive.org fortune.com \"Bill and Warren Show\" 1998 Gates China software"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611162461}}
{"type":"message","id":"85860962","parentId":"326a8958","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:07.458Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try to access the Internet Archive directly for the Fortune article.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"kq2P0pONHl44scO0grCHs0swCFrJM04Z","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/1998/http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":124,"output":87,"cacheRead":10479,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10690,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611162462,"responseId":"chatcmpl-RTsqWYltqI91VueQcBb4e3YIUeKJwM1y","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"460ff5fa","parentId":"85860962","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:09.259Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"kq2P0pONHl44scO0grCHs0swCFrJM04Z","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Error: HTTP 404"}],"details":{"error":"HTTP 404"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611169259}}
{"type":"message","id":"b0a964d9","parentId":"460ff5fa","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:12.622Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try the Internet Archive for a later snapshot of the Fortune article.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"fMJld42aVun6nSbHMqG3LBvrM6GHWRxp","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"web.archive.org \"245683\" fortune \"Bill and Warren Show\""}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":23,"output":61,"cacheRead":10689,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10773,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611169261,"responseId":"chatcmpl-n5cUeaPP8arDQqINOa2w6j3zsdVfx4SZ","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"f81614e1","parentId":"b0a964d9","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:13.385Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"fMJld42aVun6nSbHMqG3LBvrM6GHWRxp","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **the-great-mental-models - Flipbook by Manjunath Reddy | FlipHTML5**\n   https://fliphtml5.com/zlopd/rjvv/the-great-mental-models/\n   Schlender, Brent. “The Bill and Warren Show.“ Fortune, July ... http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/index.html."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjijll49gaahv","resultCount":1,"query":"web.archive.org \"245683\" fortune \"Bill and Warren Show\""},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611173384}}
{"type":"message","id":"8cf2a4e7","parentId":"f81614e1","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:17.947Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try different approaches to find the archived version.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"u9YKSGTEnUzFNZMLm7ReFw8USbGfowSW","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/*/archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":116,"output":78,"cacheRead":10772,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":10966,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611173386,"responseId":"chatcmpl-hvzay1baKYpkiO2NRpZdLqTQ8C1EwYzs","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"42ece1b7","parentId":"8cf2a4e7","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:19.275Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"u9YKSGTEnUzFNZMLm7ReFw8USbGfowSW","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":"The Wayback Machine is an initiative of the [Internet Archive](//archive.org/), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.  \nOther [projects](//archive.org/projects/) include [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/) & [archive-it.org](https://archive-it.org).\n\nYour use of the Wayback Machine is subject to the Internet Archive's [Terms of Use](//archive.org/about/terms.php)."}],"details":{"title":"Wayback Machine","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/*/archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/","truncated":false,"length":448},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611179275}}
{"type":"message","id":"c4b601cc","parentId":"42ece1b7","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:23.572Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"The Wayback Machine didn't find snapshots. Let me try another approach - searching for the actual text of the article.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"c5nMtH9dNJtzSWIa7kE97DdvYCTORL3f","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Gates \"three million computers get sold every year in China\" full quote"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":121,"output":72,"cacheRead":10965,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":11158,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611179276,"responseId":"chatcmpl-ecRFNG5Ku4MCo44BoteI8DWqm8WHvL2r","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"a59bc05d","parentId":"c4b601cc","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:24.166Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"c5nMtH9dNJtzSWIa7kE97DdvYCTORL3f","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Business The Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets Of The World's Richest ...**\n   https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0\n   Schlender, Brent, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. Stross ... “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China ...\n\n2. **[PDF] Business the Bill Gates Way - epdf.pub**\n   https://epdf.pub/download/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader.html\n   3 Schlender, Brent, “The Bill and Warren Show,” Fortune, July 20, 1998. 4 ... “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China,."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjijtwlii13bn","resultCount":2,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Gates \"three million computers get sold every year in China\" full quote"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611184166}}
{"type":"message","id":"8eb53d09","parentId":"a59bc05d","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:29.333Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try to access the vdoc.pub document to get more context.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"AYs87Dq8QNmFhhnnE7RD6dAmsZcCzD9J","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":212,"output":81,"cacheRead":11157,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":11450,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611184168,"responseId":"chatcmpl-niBvgIbjPOTnXpX1DCTawKmOdy4PM2Gb","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"4f0a6b0b","parentId":"8eb53d09","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:26:30.226Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"AYs87Dq8QNmFhhnnE7RD6dAmsZcCzD9J","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":"From computer nerd and Harvard drop-out to the world's richest business leader? That's the incredible path of Bill Gates. Business the Bill Gates Way tells his story, reveals the entrepreneurial brilliance that is the driving force behind Microsoft's awesome success, and discloses 10 key business secrets of the ultimate computer geek--and formidable businessman. Readers will learn about: Bill's early obsession with computers, his utter devotion to...software, his demanding management style, his incredible focus, how he anticipates market challenges and creates dominant brands, how he inspires loyalty and devotion from employees as well as customers, and much more. Business the Bill Gates Way is part of a new series that charts the rise of business superstars Gates, Jack Welch, Richard Branson, and Rupert Murdoch. The Business Way Series looks at their deals, schemes, and dreams, revealing how each planned his career, crushed his competitors, and ended up on top. It supplies both a valuable insight into the ingredients of success and a concise source of important lessons for the next generation of winners. Other \"Business Way\" books include: Business the Jack Welch Way (0-8144-7033-5) Business the Richard Branson Way (0-8144-7035-1) Business the Rupert Murdoch Way (0-8144-7034-3)\n\nBUSINESS\n\nTHE\n\n10 SECRETS of the World’s Richest Business Leader DES DEARLOVE\n\nii\n\nBIG SHOTS SECRETS OF THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL BUSINESS HEROES How do Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch get to have it all? How do they get to control such awesome empires and amass such vast personal fortunes? How do Richard Branson and Jack Welch create such dominant international brands and inspire such loyalty and devotion from employees and consumers alike? Big Shots reveals the secrets, deals, schemes and dreams of the world’s fiercest business competitors. Each book entertainingly charts the rise and rise of a business great and takes a sideways look at how they planned their career, crushed their competitors and ended up as kings. Each book is at once an inspiring and engaging insight into the ingredients of success and a source of invaluable business lessons for the next generation of winners. BUSINESS THE RUPERT MURDOCH WAY: 10 secrets of the world’s greatest deal-maker 1 84112 002 2 BUSINESS THE RICHARD BRANSON WAY: 10 secrets of the world’s greatest brand-builder 1 84112 005 7 BUSINESS THE JACK WELCH WAY: 10 secrets of the world’s greatest turnaround king 1 84112 003 0 BUSINESS THE BILL GATES WAY: 10 secrets of the world’s richest business leader 1 84112 004 9\n\niii Copyright © Des Dearlove 1999 The right of Des Dearlove to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 First Published 1999 Capstone Publishing Limited Oxford Centre for Innovation Mill Street Oxford OX2 0JX United Kingdom http://www. capstone.co.uk All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of crticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1–84112–004–9 This book is printed on acid-free paper Business The Bill Gates Way was written independently by the author, Des Dearlove. It has not been authorized by its subject.\n\nDigital processing by The Electric Book Company, 20 Cambridge Drive, London SE12 8AJ, UK. www.elecbook.com\n\niv\n\nCONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS\n\nVII\n\nPREFACE\n\nVIII\n\nNOTES\n\nxii\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES THE GATES PHENOMENON\n\n1 1\n\nBILL’S BIG IDEA: A COMPUTER ON EVERY DESK AND IN EVERY HOME\n\n4\n\nTHE GEEKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH\n\n7\n\nFROM HARVARD DROP-OUT TO COMPUTER ICON\n\n10\n\nBUSINESS PHILOSOPHY\n\n11\n\nSECRETS OF SUCCESS\n\n12\n\nNOTES\n\n15\n\nONE. BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME\n\n17\n\nNERD POWER\n\n20\n\nTHE DOS BOSS\n\n22\n\nSTAYING LUCKY\n\n25\n\nSETTING THE STANDARD\n\n30\n\nUBIQUISOFT\n\n31\n\nNOTE\n\n33\n\nTWO. FALL IN LOVE WITH THE TECHNOLOGY\n\n35\n\nCODE WARRIORS\n\n38\n\nSTART YOUNG\n\n39\n\nGEEK CHIC\n\n42\n\nR&D FOREVER\n\n43\n\nDON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL\n\n46\n\nNOTES\n\n50\n\nTHREE. TAKE NO PRISONERS\n\n51\n\nLEVERAGE YOUR BITS OFF\n\n54\n\nIF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM; BUY THEM\n\n54\n\nv SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY\n\n55\n\nRISK MANAGEMENT\n\n56\n\nRAM BEAU\n\n58\n\nNOTES\n\n62\n\nFOUR. HIRE VERY SMART PEOPLE\n\n63\n\nWELCOME TO SMARTSVILLE\n\n66\n\nTHE CAMPUS CULTURE\n\n68\n\nCHARGE OF THE BRIGHT BRIGADE\n\n69\n\nTHE CAFFEINE KIDS\n\n71\n\nTHE MILLIONAIRE CLUB\n\n74\n\nNOTES\n\n78\n\nFIVE. LEARN TO SURVIVE NO BUGS ON US\n\n79 82\n\nMICROSOFT U.\n\n83\n\nLOOPING THE LOOPS\n\n84\n\nCRASH TEST DUMMIES\n\n88\n\nKNOW THY SELF\n\n89\n\nNOTES SIX. DON’T EXPECT ANY THANKS\n\n92 93\n\nBILLION DOLLAR BILL\n\n96\n\nMESSIAH OR ANTICHRIST?\n\n97\n\nTECHNO TYRANT\n\n100\n\nBILL AND WARREN’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE\n\n102\n\nPEARLY GATES\n\n104\n\nDON’T EXPECT ANY THANKS\n\n106\n\nNOTES SEVEN. ASSUME THE VISIONARY POSITION\n\n107 109\n\nSITTING AND THINKING\n\n112\n\nRAM RAIDER\n\n113\n\nNERD INSTINCT\n\n116\n\nTHE PARANOID PROPHET\n\n118\n\nBETTER LATE THAN NEVER\n\n120\n\nNOTES\n\n125\n\nvi EIGHT. COVER ALL THE BASES\n\n127\n\nMULTI-TASKING MAN\n\n130\n\nIMMERSION THERAPY\n\n131\n\nOVER-DRIVE\n\n132\n\nSLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE\n\n134\n\nHEDGING HIS BETS\n\n135\n\nNOTES\n\n138\n\nNINE. BUILD A BYTE-SIZED BUSINESS THE SMALLEST BIG COMPANY IN THE WORLD\n\n139 141\n\nDIVIDE AND RULE\n\n142\n\nLARGE TEAMS THAT WORK LIKE SMALL TEAMS\n\n143\n\nMINING THE ETHER ORE\n\n145\n\nUNLEASHING THE MICROSERFS\n\n147\n\nNOTES TEN. NEVER, EVER, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL\n\n150 151\n\nTHE THOUGHTS OF CHAIRMAN BILL\n\n153\n\nDON’T LOOK BACK\n\n155\n\nINTO THE SUNSET\n\n156\n\nTHE DIGITAL SAGE\n\n158\n\nTHE QUICK AND THE DEAD\n\n160\n\nNOTES\n\n163\n\nHOW TO GET RICH THE BILL GATES WAY\n\n165\n\nLAST WORD\n\n171\n\nNOTES\n\n172\n\nINDEX\n\n173\n\nvii\n\nACKNOWLEDGMENTS I’d like to think this is a fair analysis of why Bill Gates has been so successful over so many years. In the end, though, whether you see him as the Antichrist or the Messiah of the IT revolution it is impossible to escape the conclusion that he is a remarkable individual. For two decades he has dominated the computer industry. He shows no sign of relenting. But more than just a computer whiz-kid, Gates also provides a model for business leadership in the 21st century. For this, he deserves acknowledgment. Others also merit a special mention. I would particularly like to thank Randall E. Stross, James Wallace and Jim Erickson for their outstanding books on Microsoft, which were an inspiration. I would also like to thank: Stephen Coomber for his research and insights; and Mark Allin, Richard Burton and Catherine Meyrick at Capstone Publishing. Des Dearlove September 1998\n\nviii\n\nPREFACE\n\nThe management gurus tell us that in the contemporary business world learning is a source of competitive advantage. Managers must constantly learn new skills and techniques so that they are armed for corporate battle. “Success in the Organizations must re-invent themselves as marketplace increasingly learning organizations in which learning is depends on learning, yet central to their being and culture. All this is most people don’t know no doubt true—in theory. But, in reality, how to learn.” there are few genuine learning organizations. The reality is that executives are not very good at learning. “Success in the marketplace increasingly depends on learning, yet most people don’t know how to learn. What’s more, those members of the organization that many assume to be the best at learning are, in fact, not very good at it,” says Harvard Business School’s Chris Argyris.1 One of the aims of this series is to help executives learn; to give them the opportunity to learn from the best. This may sound an overly ambitious objective. But think how managers learn. First, they do so through experience. Yet, as Chris Argyris has pointed out, experience is no guarantee of learning. How many executives\n\nPreface\n\nix\n\nhave you met who have all the experience in the world but little insight or real wisdom? They may proclaim that they have 30 years’ experience, but they often have one year’s experience 30 times. Experience does not automatically lead to learning. Years clocked up do not necessarily equate with wisdom. The second source of learning for executives are training programs. Most senior managers will have been on one business school executive program or another. With their case studies and emphasis on the analytical, business schools undoubtedly enable managers to acquire important skills. But the range of skills and their practical usefulness is regularly questioned—not least by those who teach at business schools. “The idea that you can take smart but inexperienced 25 year-olds who have never managed anything or anybody and turn them into effective managers via two years of classroom training is ludicrous,” says strategy guru, Henry Mintzberg.2 The venerable Peter Drucker is another long-term critic of business schools. “The business schools in the US, set up less than a century ago, have been preparing well-trained clerks,” he wrote as long ago 3 as 1969. More recently, he has predicted the decline of business schools noting that “Business schools are suffering from premature success. Now, they are improving yesterday a little bit. The worst thing is to improve what shouldn’t be done at all.” Business schools remain wedded to theory; business is about action.\n\nBusiness schools remain wedded to theory; business is about action. It is a sentiment echoed by practitioners. “I am not impressed by diplomas.\n\nPreface\n\nx\n\nThey don’t do the work. My marks were not as good as those of others, and I didn’t take the final examination. The principal called me in and said I have to leave. I told him that I didn’t want a diploma. They had less value than a cinema ticket. A ticket at least guaranteed that you would get in. A diploma guaranteed nothing,” said Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda.4 With surprising understatement, former Chrysler CEO, Lee Iacocca noted: “Formal learning can teach you a great deal, but many of the essential skills in life are the ones you have to develop on your own.” More opinionated was the late Avis chief and author of Up the Organization, Robert Townsend. “Don’t hire Harvard Business School graduates,” he warned. “This elite, in my opinion, is missing some pretty fundamental requirements for success: humility; respect for people in the firing line; deep understanding of the nature of the business and the kind of people who can enjoy themselves making it prosper; respect from way down the line; a demonstrated record of guts, industry, loyalty down, judgment, fairness, and honesty under pressure.” More recently, Bill Gates, Virgin’s Richard Branson and Body Shop’s Anita Roddick have all been much quoted examples of those who missed out on business school but went on to reach the summits of business success. “A great advantage I had when I started the Body Shop was that I had never been to business school,” says Anita Roddick. Similarly, 1–800-Flowers founder, Jim McCann, says that the company would have not got off the ground if he’d been to business school—“I would have thought too much about why the deal couldn’t be done,” says McCann.5 The third source of learning is through learning from peers and colleagues. This is very powerful. The current trend for mentoring and\n\nPreface\n\nxi\n\ncoaching is evidence that senior managers can play an important role in developing the skills of other, more junior, managers. But, what if your boss is an ineffective timeserver with no interest in developing tomorrow’s talent? What if your boss is incompetent? What if your aspirations far outstrip the level of expertise of your boss? Who do you learn from then? For many, the answer lies in the growing array of bestselling books by corporate leaders. Executives buy them in their millions. They want to know what makes a top CEO tick. They want it mapped out. Invariably they are disappointed. Most CEO authored books are marred by ego and hindsight. They are ghostwritten and their merit is as illusory as a ghost. Most are rose-tinted celebrations of careers rather than objective examinations of managerial techniques. The learning they offer is limited—though that is not to deny the entertainment value. The Big Shots series aims to fill the gap. It seeks to give an objective view of the business practice and thinking of some of the corporate greats. For each of the business leaders in the series—whether it be Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Richard Branson or Jack Welch—we look at the essence of their approach to business. What makes them different? What are they good at? And, most importantly, what lessons can be learned from their business success? As you will see, the lessons aren’t rocket science. Indeed, management is more pocket science. “Guru? You find a gem here or there. But most of it’s fairly obvious, you know,” says Rupert Murdoch. “You go to Doubleday’s business section and you see all those wonderful titles and you spend $300\n\nPreface\n\nxii\n\nand then you throw them all away.” Theory is for those with time on their hands. Making it happen is what management and business is all about. Ask Bill Gates.\n\nNOTES 1 2 3 4 5\n\nArgyris, Chris, “Teaching smart people how to learn,” Harvard Business Review, May-June 1991. Mintzberg, Henry, “The new management mind-set,” Leader to Leader, Spring 1997. Drucker, Peter, The Age of Discontinuity, Heinemann, London, 1969. Crainer, Stuart (editor), The Ultimate Book of Business Quotations, Capstone, Oxford, 1997; AMACOM, New York, 1998. Bruce, Katherine, “How to succeed in business without an MBA,” Forbes, January 26, 1998.\n\nThis page intentionally blank\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES THE GATES PHENOMENON At 43, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. He has headed Microsoft since he was 20. Believed to be worth something in the region of $60 billion (although Gates himself insists that much of his money is tied up in Microsoft shares), his is wealth of a magnitude that is beyond the comprehension of most people. For this he attracts both our envy and our curiosity. Gates is a 20th century phenomenon: the greatest of the cyber-tycoons. It has become a popular pastime in bars and restaurants to astound friends and acquaintances with calculations of his spending power. It is tempting to believe that there has never been another business leader so loaded. In fact, there have been other mega-rich businessmen, John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie to name just two. But Gates’ wealth is only part of his fascination. His meteoric rise to fame and fortune confirms the creation of a new business world order: one that is dominated by a different class of entrepreneur and business leader. We may like to label\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n2\n\nthem nerds, but they know things that most of us don’t. They understand the potential of the new technology in a way that the traditional generalist manager and bean counting accountant can’t hope to. They are smart; very, very smart about stuff we don’t really understand, and it makes the rest of us uncomfortable. When it come to the future, they “get it,” and we don’t. Technically literate and intellectually elitist, Gates is a sign of the leaders to come. Although Microsoft is based outside at Redmond, Washington, he is probably the greatest of what we can term the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. To some in Microsoft, he is a mystical, almost religious figure, while to others in the industry he is the Antichrist. Both views are outrageous, but underline just how powerful his influence is. (With all the hullabaloo about alleged abuse of monopoly power, it is easy to forget that back in the 1970s, IBM, too, was the target of anti-trust investigations. Yet, memory fades. Today, we have come to regard Big Blue as almost saintly compared to Microsoft. Such is the nature of power—we fear most what we understand least.) But you won’t find many clues to the Gates management technique or leadership style in business schools. In fact, the management professors and gurus are strangely silent on what makes the Microsoft chairman and CEO so successful. Perhaps they feel slighted. Gates, after all, dropped out of Harvard where he was majoring in law. The academics prefer more conventional business leaders—the traditional company men. Where, then, should we turn for an insight into what makes this remarkable man tick? Where better than Microsoft’s own encyclopedia Encarta? “Much of Gates’ success rests on his ability to translate technical visions into market strategy, and to blend creativity with technical acumen,” it says under the entry for Gates, William, Henry, III.\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n3\n\nThat’s not bad for a one-line explanation of Gates’ remarkable talents. In the end, though, what sets Bill Gates apart from any other business leader in history is probably the influence that he wields over our lives. Whereas the power of earlier tycoons was usually concentrated in one sector or industry, Whereas the power of through the power of software, Microsoft earlier tycoons was usually extends its tentacles into every sphere of concentrated in one sector our lives. or industry, through the power of software, Media barons like Rupert Murdoch make Microsoft extends its us uneasy because they have the power to tentacles into every sphere control what appears in our newspapers of our lives. and television screen. But the influence of the people who write software is incalculable. Encarta, the encyclopedia produced by Microsoft, is just one example among many of how Bill Gates and his company pervade every aspect of our lives. No wonder we feel uncomfortable with his domination of the software market. No wonder he is vilified and attacked. After all, how many business leader’s get the chance to rewrite history? But beneath the hype and counter-hype, what sort of man is Bill Gates really? Is he some brainy but basically benign computer whiz-kid, who was in the right place at the right time? Or is there something more sinister about a man who could have retired comfortably in his 20s but prefers to carry on working 16-hour days most days? Stories abound about Gates the genius mathematician and computer programmer, and about the other Gates, the ruthless businessman who goes all out to crush the competition. Only by separating the fact from the fiction can we begin to reveal\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n4\n\nthe real Gates. What emerges from this analysis is a far more complicated picture. This is not simply a story of technical brilliance and enormous wealth. It is one of remarkable business vision and an obsessive desire to win. It is also about a radically different leadership style to anything the business world has seen before. What Bill Gates offers business leaders of the future is a new template, one that brings together characteristics and skills that are much more suited to the challenges of the 21st Century. With all his faults, Bill Gates has much to teach the next generation of entrepreneurs and executives.\n\nBILL’S BIG IDEA: A COMPUTER ON EVERY DESK AND IN EVERY HOME Since the early days of Microsoft, Gates has pursued his vision of “a computer on every desk and in every home.” (Interestingly, the original slogan was “a computer on every desk in every home, running Microsoft software,” but the last part is often left off these days as it makes some people uncomfortable.) Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Foresight, however, is much more lucrative, as Gates has shown.\n\nLooking back now, the spread of personal computers from the office into the home seems almost inevitable. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Foresight, however, is much more lucrative, as Gates has shown. It is important to remember, too, that the ubiquitous screens and keyboards that we all take for granted today were the stuff of science fiction just a couple of decades ago.\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n5\n\nBack in the 1960s when futurists in America tried to predict the trends that were likely to shape society in the rest of the century they completely missed the rise of the PC. It is no coincidence either that the young Gates devoured science fiction books. That Bill Gates alone was responsible for putting the PC in homes and offices all over the world is untrue, any more than Henry Ford was responsible for the rise of the automobile. What the two had in common, however, was the vision to see what was possible, and to play a pivotal role in making that vision a reality. Gates set about achieving his vision by transforming Microsoft into a major player in the computer industry and using its dominant position to create a platform for the huge growth in applications. What Gates realized very early on was that, in order for his vision to succeed, it was essential that an industry standard be created. He knew, too, that whoever got there first would have a major opportunity to stamp their own authority on the computing industry. Several years before IBM approached Gates to find an operating system for its new PC, Gates was lamenting the lack of a common platform, and predicting that without one the potential of PCs would not be realized. Articles he penned at that time suggest that he has no more idea of the role destiny had in mind for him than anyone else. The fact is, however, when the opportunity presented itself, Gates saw it for what it was and grabbed it with both hands. He’s been doing much the same ever since. In the early 1980s, Gates masterminded Microsoft’s movement from a developer of programming languages to a diversified software company, producing everything from operating systems such as Windows to applications like Word and Excel, as\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n6\n\nwell as programming tools. In the process he transformed the computer industry. Those who like to criticize him, and accuse him of monopolistic tendencies, might pause once in a while to reflect on where the PC revolution would be right now without the timely, if self-interested, intervention of Bill Gates. In the end, it’s hard to argue with the claim that Bill Gates played a major role in ushering in a new technological era. It’s worth remembering, too, that unlike many of the world’s seriously rich people he still works for a living. HOW RICH IS BILL GATES? Gates is the richest man in the world today. In September 1998, his fortune was estimated at $60 billion based on his 22 percent stake in Microsoft. But he ranks only fifth in the list of the wealthiest tycoons of all time. Forbes magazine1 has recalculated the fortunes of past and present businessmen by comparing the Gross National Product (GNP) in their lifetimes with the size of their bank balances. On this measure, Texas oil baron John D. Rockefeller amassed a fortune of $190 billion, more than three times that of Gates’ pile. In the number two slot is Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron, who would be worth $100 billion today. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad and shipping magnate comes third on $95 billion; followed by John Jacob Astor, the real estate and property tycoon, on $79 billion. Gates, however, is still in his early 40s and is likely to move up the league table. If Microsoft continues to grow faster than the American GNP, he will pass Carnegie.\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n7\n\nTHE GEEKS SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH Gates is one of the few founding CEOs from the technical side of the PC industry who has survived and thrived on the business side. He is a bona fide computer nerd. William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington, on October 28, 1955. His parents nicknamed him “Trey” from the III in his name and members of the family never called him anything else. Gates was a precocious intellect—he read the family’s encyclopedia from beginning to end at the age of eight or nine. (His company Microsoft would later create the first CD-ROM encyclopedia in the world, Encarta.) But his real gift was for mathematics, at which he excelled. Young Bill was already fascinated with computers by the age of 12 and, with his long-time business partner and friend Paul Allen, was involved with various programming projects throughout high school. With Allen he would later to set up Microsoft. A brilliant student, unlike most gifted children Gates seems to have excelled at everything he did. His passion for winning was also apparent from an early age. At Lakeside, the elitist Seattle private school that attracts some of the brightest students on America’s West Coast, his love of mathematics became an obsession with computers. Even at Lakeside, Bill Gates stood out. As James Wallace and Jim Erikson note in their book Hard Drive: “Even in an environment like Lakeside, where smart kids tended to command respect, anyone as smart as Gates got teased by some of the others.” 2\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n8\n\nAccording to one classmate who is now a prominent Seattle architect: “Gates most associated with the kids in the computer room. He was socially inept and uncomfortable around others. The guy was totally obsessed with his interest in computers ... You would see him playing tennis occasionally, but not “Even in an environment much else. Initially, I was in awe of Gates like Lakeside, where and the others in the computer room. I smart kids tended to even idolized them to some extent. But I command respect, anyone found that they were such turkeys that I as smart as Gates got didn’t want to be around them. They were teased by some of the part of the reason I got out of computer others.” work ... They had developed very narrowly socially and they were arrogant, and I just didn’t want to be like that.”3 Sour grapes, perhaps? But clearly, Gates and his cronies were exceptional even by Lakeside standards. By his junior year, Gates was something of a computer guru to the younger Lakeside hackers. He would often hold court in the computer room for hours, telling stories about infamous computer hackers. Gates and some of his computer friends formed the Lakeside Programmers Group, which was dedicated to finding moneymaking opportunities to use their new-found computer programming skills. But already, a pattern was emerging. As Gates observed later: “I was the mover. I was the guy who said ‘Let’s call the real world and try to sell something to it.’” He was 13 years old at the time. The remarkable technical rapport with Allen, two years his senior, seems to have developed at this time. Allen’s role in the Microsoft story, and\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n9\n\nthat of a small coterie of Lakesiders recruited by the company, is often understated. Gates, Allen, Kent Evans and Richard Weiland—two other members of the Lakeside Programmers Group—would often spend hours hooked up, first to a minicomputer owned by General Electric, and later to one at the Computer Centre Corporation, sometimes not getting home until the early hours. So consumed was the young Gates that his parents became worried about their son’s new hobby. For a time, they put a stop to his activities, fearing that it was affecting his studies. Gates abstained from computers for almost a whole year. Typical of his insatiable hunger for knowledge, he turned his attention to other subjects. In this period, he read a number of biographies—including those of Napoleon and Franklin Roosevelt. He wanted, he said, to understand how the great figures of history thought. He also read business books, science books and novels. One of his favorites was “Catcher in the Rye,” and he would later recite long extracts of the book to his girlfriends. Holden Caulfield, the main character, became one of his heroes. For the time being, however, any plans young Bill might have for forming a software company with his high school friend and fellow hacker were put on hold. His parents insisted that he should go to college; they felt it would be good for him to mix with other students. His high IQ and massive personal drive ensured him a place at Harvard University. He arrived at America’s most respected seat of learning in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the fall of 1973 with no real sense of direction. Later, he would say that he went to Harvard to learn from people smarter than he was ... and was disappointed.4 The comment probably says as\n\nTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILL GATES\n\n10\n\nmuch about Bill Gates opinion of himself as it does about Harvard. Listing his academic major as pre-law, Gates might have been expected to follow in the footsteps of his lawyer father. In reality, however, he had little interest in a career in law, and his parents had little doubt that their headstrong son would steer his own course. In their wildest dreams, however, none of them could have imagined just what a meteoric journey it would be. As it turned out, a degree from Harvard was not on the cards. In 1975, while still at the university he teamed up with Paul Allen once more to develop a version of BASIC, an early computer-language. Fired up with the new world at his fingertips, in 1977 Gates decided to drop out of Harvard to work fulltime at a small computer software company he had founded with his friend. The company was called Microsoft.\n\nFROM HARVARD DROP-OUT TO COMPUTER ICON The rise of Microsoft has been both rapid and relentless. Gates soon proved that he combined both a bone-deep technical understanding with superb commercial instincts. When ill health forced Allen to leave Microsoft in the early 1980s, Gates’ position as leader was confirmed. In the second half of the 1980s, Microsoft became the darling of Wall Street. From a share price of $2 in 1986, Microsoft stock soared to $105 by first half of 1996, making Gates a billionaire and many of his colleagues millionaires. But the rise in Microsoft’s share price also signaled a new business world order. Management guru Tom Peters says the world changed when the\n\n[Content truncated...]"}],"details":{"title":"Business The Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets Of The World's Richest Business Leader [PDF] [3mo9up5pj1h0]","url":"https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0","truncated":true,"length":229518},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611190226}}
{"type":"message","id":"a1c3a930","parentId":"4f0a6b0b","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:07.329Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"This is a book about Bill Gates but it doesn't have the full text of the Fortune article. Let me search more specifically for the original Fortune article text.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"k3KZUR8yxXLsygFREThmWBLqnyuo3hQK","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune July 1998 \"China\" \"software\" \"addicted\" full text q&a"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":6904,"output":87,"cacheRead":11449,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":18440,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611190226,"responseId":"chatcmpl-7SWBUfQ8btit0SgMcVsoMmq2CmwtHDv8","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"7aea27c5","parentId":"a1c3a930","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:07.969Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"k3KZUR8yxXLsygFREThmWBLqnyuo3hQK","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **LNCS 2742 - Financial Cryptography - Springer**\n   https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-540-45126-6.pdf\n   software and hardware that implement the original scheme), and as ... Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show. ... China, October 1998. Springer-Verlag. [BK00]."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjikrpcp7s8gc","resultCount":1,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune July 1998 \"China\" \"software\" \"addicted\" full text q&a"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611227968}}
{"type":"message","id":"b6c72f21","parentId":"7aea27c5","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:12.573Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try searching for the exact quote with the full context to find any source that has the complete text.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"KjSZMp904M4zq8nSC4IE3QDGvgClUVi7","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Gates China software \"don't pay for the software\" \"Someday they will\" Fortune"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":117,"output":75,"cacheRead":18439,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":18631,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611227970,"responseId":"chatcmpl-mCNTmv4bYmULTR9QiAgwaYTioOAQKB6f","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"ba646b3c","parentId":"b6c72f21","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:13.574Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"KjSZMp904M4zq8nSC4IE3QDGvgClUVi7","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **[PDF] The case against micropayments - SciSpace**\n   https://scispace.com/pdf/the-case-against-micropayments-1f4thodpw3.pdf\n   people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. ... Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show. Fortune, July 20, 1998. ... Gates, Nailed the Netheads, ...\n\n2. **LNCS 2742 - Financial Cryptography - Springer**\n   https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-540-45126-6.pdf\n   people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. ... Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show. Fortune ... China, October 1998. Springer ...\n\n3. **Business The Bill Gates Way: 10 Secrets Of The World's Richest ...**\n   https://vdoc.pub/documents/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader-3mo9up5pj1h0\n   Schendler, Brent, 'The Bill and Warren show', Fortune, July 20, 1998. ... China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as ...\n\n4. **[PDF] Business the Bill Gates Way - epdf.pub**\n   https://epdf.pub/download/business-the-bill-gates-way-10-secrets-of-the-worlds-richest-business-leader.html\n   “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long. Page 117. DON ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjikw12qnumlj","resultCount":4,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" Gates China software \"don't pay for the software\" \"Someday they will\" Fortune"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611233574}}
{"type":"message","id":"05b9227e","parentId":"ba646b3c","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:19.892Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I've found multiple academic and book citations for the original source. Let me try to access the SciSpace PDF which might have more detail.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"DJI6lC2e7iZt5WMLCHXB7GEQBQODbfl3","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"https://scispace.com/pdf/the-case-against-micropayments-1f4thodpw3.pdf"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":410,"output":81,"cacheRead":18630,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":19121,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611233576,"responseId":"chatcmpl-ZOjpv8oCh70pKSKIyDl0O9RcGTcDvt7r","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"f477a5f5","parentId":"05b9227e","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:20.901Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"DJI6lC2e7iZt5WMLCHXB7GEQBQODbfl3","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":"Error: Could not extract content"}],"details":{"error":"Could not extract content"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611240901}}
{"type":"message","id":"88dbd480","parentId":"f477a5f5","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:24.848Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try a different approach - search for the actual article text or a cached version of the Fortune article.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"gM5mWy8ieajfhrmTI6Mqo7yPwiILO4fv","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune.com 245683 cache OR archived OR snapshot"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":22,"output":70,"cacheRead":19120,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":19212,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611240902,"responseId":"chatcmpl-M8MUXy1jQtxR6btxIn4cAFrocDJQ3cLn","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"5675ce23","parentId":"88dbd480","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:25.798Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"gM5mWy8ieajfhrmTI6Mqo7yPwiILO4fv","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **the-great-mental-models - Flipbook by Manjunath Reddy | FlipHTML5**\n   https://fliphtml5.com/zlopd/rjvv/the-great-mental-models/\n   Schlender, Brent. “The Bill and Warren Show.“ Fortune, July 20, 1998 ... http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/index.html."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjil5gmji66sh","resultCount":1,"query":"\"Bill and Warren Show\" fortune.com 245683 cache OR archived OR snapshot"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611245798}}
{"type":"message","id":"3d3d86cb","parentId":"5675ce23","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:30.131Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try fetching the fliphtml5 page which has the URL reference.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"ASKYPHoDnYXB2GIwnKDppYnsBsTIjOAX","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill Gates\" \"University of Washington\" 1998 \"three million computers\" \"China\" speech full text transcript"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":125,"output":69,"cacheRead":19211,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":19405,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611245800,"responseId":"chatcmpl-sFhzdPYB0I9wbGvXMG6ukQ2vFnUyDb8Z","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"053b517c","parentId":"3d3d86cb","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:30.552Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"ASKYPHoDnYXB2GIwnKDppYnsBsTIjOAX","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Bill Gates A Biography (Becraft Michael) (Z-Library) | PDF - Scribd**\n   https://www.scribd.com/document/706785351/Bill-Gates-a-Biography-Becraft-Michael-Z-Library\n   “About three million computers get sold every year in China, but people don ... 1998 EDUCATION SPEECH PIEING INCIDENT. In February 1998, Bill Gates was due to ...\n\n2. **[PDF] Bill Gates: A Biography - AWS**\n   https://6qvxwpjda8.execute-api.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/DMwprxPX9aJJZhoBRjF_3J249y0inF?sig=e1bd84c35bb2a584a7875cf95d6285a6b1fa9fbe5584d7331c87648503dbc7c6\n   3 Mar 1999 · event at the University of Washington in mid-1998, noting: ... In February 1998, Bill Gates was due to give a speech on education in Brussels,.\n\n3. **Bill Gates - A Biography - Becraft, Michael | PDF | Microsoft - Scribd**\n   https://www.scribd.com/document/689976646/Bill-Gates-A-Biography-Becraft-Michael\n   event at the University of Washington in mid-1998, noting: ... advocate Ralph Nader. 1998 EDUCATION SPEECH PIEING INCIDENT In February 1998, Bill Gates was due to ...\n\n4. **Bob Jensen's New Bookmarks for Quarter 1 in the Year 2001**\n   http://www.cs.trinity.edu/rjensen/Webjen/book01q1.htm\n   Bill Gates on Monday unveiled a set of technologies that he hopes will ... University of Washington and Michigan State University. Surfers can also ..."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjil94of0bn7w","resultCount":4,"query":"\"Bill Gates\" \"University of Washington\" 1998 \"three million computers\" \"China\" speech full text transcript"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611250552}}
{"type":"message","id":"a146f372","parentId":"053b517c","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:37.077Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me try fetching the Becraft biography from Scribd to see if it has more details about the original source.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"pLvNwSKvD36E9IoOdSnc0q9jkCnLNGd9","name":"web_search","arguments":{"query":"\"Bill Gates\" \"three million computers\" \"China\" \"steal ours\" 1998 speech Seattle OR University Washington transcript"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":460,"output":79,"cacheRead":19404,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":19943,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611250554,"responseId":"chatcmpl-og5v5L9BbCuxCSQgV2CZ3CDO8NsPjKBC","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"108b1971","parentId":"a146f372","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:37.667Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"pLvNwSKvD36E9IoOdSnc0q9jkCnLNGd9","toolName":"web_search","content":[{"type":"text","text":"1. **Microsoft Copilot just helped me pirate Windows 11 — Here's proof**\n   https://www.laptopmag.com/ai/microsoft-copilot-is-actively-helping-users-pirate-windows-heres-proof\n   27 Feb 2025 · ... Bill Gates admitted, \"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. ... steal ours."}],"details":{"searchId":"mpjilemar00v8t","resultCount":1,"query":"\"Bill Gates\" \"three million computers\" \"China\" \"steal ours\" 1998 speech Seattle OR University Washington transcript"},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611257666}}
{"type":"message","id":"dad19400","parentId":"108b1971","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:42.090Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"Let me check the Laptop Mag article to see if it has more source details.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"toolCall","id":"KqeQnV3mYXjtcL1BdkYCoe83AbuUvQzU","name":"fetch_content","arguments":{"url":"https://www.laptopmag.com/ai/microsoft-copilot-is-actively-helping-users-pirate-windows-heres-proof"}}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":106,"output":71,"cacheRead":19942,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":20119,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"toolUse","timestamp":1779611257669,"responseId":"chatcmpl-1H22Kb6JtdgPBhbwBHXwLF04dOfvC11k","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}
{"type":"message","id":"e399bbc8","parentId":"dad19400","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:27:42.292Z","message":{"role":"toolResult","toolCallId":"KqeQnV3mYXjtcL1BdkYCoe83AbuUvQzU","toolName":"fetch_content","content":[{"type":"text","text":" ![Microsoft Copilot logo with AI sparkle symbol, \"Hi, how can I help?\" is written below.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uc6HYW8uZocufuXYq6jxqM.jpg)\n\n(Image credit: Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)\n\nMicrosoft has a piracy problem, and it's had it for some time. In 2006, the _LA Times_ reported that software piracy had caused the company [a loss of around $14 billion that year](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-09-fi-micropiracy9-story.html) alone, despite the millions Microsoft spent trying to prevent the copying and distribution of its software and [Windows](https://www.laptopmag.com/uk/tag/microsoft-windows) operating system.\n\nWhile losses like this would send most companies headfirst into a legal crusade, Microsoft has historically taken a more calculated approach to piracy. While publicly maintaining a zero-tolerance stance, Microsoft is aware of the potential benefits.\n\nDuring a public talk at the University of Washington in 1998, Microsoft founder Bill Gates admitted, \"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade.\"\n\nMicrosoft, or at the very least Gates, viewed piracy as a short-term loss that could lead to long-term dominance in Windows adoption and familiarity among users. It's a tactic the company potentially played into once again in 2015 when Microsoft confirmed to _Reuters_ that it would allow [non-genuine Windows PCs to freely upgrade to Windows 10](https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-microsoft-china-idUSKBN0ME06A20150318/).\n\nHowever, being aware of piracy and offering instructions on how to do it are two different things. The latter is something Microsoft's [AI](https://www.laptopmag.com/uk/tag/artificial-intelligence), Copilot, appears to be doing, unwittingly handing out methods to illegally activate copies of Windows to users with reckless abandon.\n\nThat's not hearsay, either — we tested it ourselves, and the results are alarming.\n\n## Microsoft has a new piracy problem: Copilot\n\nA previously tactical approach to piracy may have been a pragmatic means to an end for Microsoft. The company could either spend an ever-increasing fortune fighting illegal distribution of its software or take advantage of an influx of Windows users, hoping to secure a loyal userbase for decades to come.\n\nSign up to receive The Snapshot, a free special dispatch from Laptop Mag, in your inbox.\n\nHowever, at no point has Microsoft directly facilitated piracy of any kind. That said, its Copilot AI is skirting dangerously close to doing so after guiding users with step-by-step instructions on how to illegally activate copies of Windows using a simple PowerShell command.\n\nThe PowerShell one-liner itself isn't new (this method of activating Windows has been available since at least November 2022). However, a Copilot reply is the last place you'd have expected to find it. Yet, that's exactly what happened on Tuesday when [Reddit user \"loozerr\"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/1iy1ihy/asked_copilot_if_theres_a_script_to_activate/) asked Microsoft's AI if there was a script to activate [Windows 11](https://www.laptopmag.com/uk/tag/windows-11).\n\n![Screenshot of a Microsoft Copilot conversation showing the chatbot answering the question 'Is there a script to activate Windows 11' by providing a PowerShell one-liner that links to an illegal third-party Windows activation tool.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rP6ujGXnPHMdk3D5zB2Vp8.jpg)\n\nCopilot required no additional prompting or any tricky jailbreaking efforts to provide the PowerShell one-liner that uses a third-party script to activate Windows 11 (1/3).(Image credit: Laptop Mag)\n\nNot only did Copilot provide the requested script, but it also gave clear instructions on how to run it in PowerShell, linked to external sources for the tool, and offered only a meager token warning about the potential security risks of using third-party scripts.\n\nSince the Redditor only partially shared their conversation with Copilot (noted by the lack of the conversation header in the screenshot), there was no guarantee that some form of jailbreaking hadn't taken place. So we tested it ourselves (shown above).\n\nShockingly, not only was Copilot's response reproducible, but it required no pre-prompting or jailbreaking to achieve. In fact, we were even able to access the PowerShell script just by asking, _\"Is there a script to activate Windows 11?\"_\n\nMaking matters worse, an immediate follow-up to Copilot's PowerShell-containing response saw the AI explicitly state that using the script is both against Microsoft's terms of service and considered illegal.\n\n## Questioning Copilot, and the potential harm at hand\n\n_Laptop Mag_ reached out to Microsoft for comment but did not receive a reply ahead of publication.\n\nCopilot's ability to repeatedly provide the same illicit activation methods suggests that this fumble isn't a rare loophole caused by hallucination or wily jailbreaking attempts, but a major oversight in Microsoft's AI safety measures.\n\nThe implications are serious, with Copilot clearly able to provide access and instructions on how to perform actions that are both illegal and potentially harmful to the end user.\n\nBeyond the legal risks, third-party activation scripts that download code from external servers pose a genuine risk of infection from malware, keyloggers, or remote access trojans (RATs). Using these tools, attackers may be able to disable Windows Defender or modify system files to prevent detection before stealing personal data, injecting backdoors, or compromising system integrity.\n\nIn total, Copilot's willingness to instruct users on executing these scripts stands as a serious legal and cybersecurity concern, if not a disaster.\n\nWhile we await acknowledgment from Microsoft on this issue, Copilot's actions raise several questions: What safeguards does Microsoft typically have in place to prevent Copilot from potentially assisting in software piracy? Why did those safeguards fail? And how can software developers trust that Copilot won't provide similar activation workarounds or exploits for their own products?\n\nPerhaps more importantly, is Copilot truly capable of responsibly determining what is and isn't potentially harmful information to share with its users?\n\n## More from Laptop Mag\n\n*   [**Microsoft's recent tests could lure Google Workspace users back to Office apps**](https://www.laptopmag.com/software/microsofts-recent-tests-could-lure-google-workspace-users-back-to-office-apps)\n*   [**Microsoft's Majorana 1 breaks the quantum computing barrier — and my brain**](https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/microsofts-majorana-1-breaks-the-quantum-computing-barrier-and-my-brain)\n*   [**I ditched Windows 11 for Linux — and you should, too**](https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/microsoft-windows-11-vs-linux-gaming-pc)\n\nRael Hornby, potentially influenced by far too many LucasArts titles at an early age, once thought he’d grow up to be a mighty pirate. However, after several interventions with close friends and family members, you’re now much more likely to see his name attached to the bylines of tech articles. While not maintaining a double life as an aspiring writer by day and indie game dev by night, you’ll find him sat in a corner somewhere muttering to himself about microtransactions or hunting down promising indie games on Twitter."}],"details":{"title":"Microsoft Copilot just helped me pirate Windows 11 — Here's proof","url":"https://www.laptopmag.com/ai/microsoft-copilot-is-actively-helping-users-pirate-windows-heres-proof","truncated":false,"length":7585},"isError":false,"timestamp":1779611262292}}
{"type":"message","id":"37f24c31","parentId":"e399bbc8","timestamp":"2026-05-24T08:28:23.686Z","message":{"role":"assistant","content":[{"type":"thinking","thinking":"I now have a much clearer picture of the sources. Let me summarize what I've found:\n\n1. The original source is **\"The Bill and Warren Show\"** published in **Fortune Magazine on July 20, 1998**, written by **Brent Schlender**.\n\n2. The quote was from Bill Gates during a **speech/talk at the University of Washington** in mid-1998.\n\n3. The full quote as reported: \"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect [money from them] sometime in the next decade.\"\n\nLet me see if I can find the actual archived Fortune article or more details about the original speech.\n","thinkingSignature":"reasoning_content"},{"type":"text","text":"Here's what I found about the original source:\n\n## Original Source\n\n**\"The Bill and Warren Show\"** — *Fortune Magazine*, **July 20, 1998**\n- Author: **Brent Schlender**\n- Pages: 48–64\n- Archive URL: http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1998/07/20/245683/ (appears to no longer be accessible)\n\n\"The Bill and Warren Show\" was a Q&A format where Bill Gates and Warren Buffett answered reader-submitted questions. The quote came from Gates' response to a question about software piracy in China.\n\n## Full Quote (as published in Fortune)\n\n> \"Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. And as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect [money from them] sometime in the next decade.\"\n\n## Context\n\nThe statement was made during a **public talk at the University of Washington** in mid-1998, which was then covered/republished in the Fortune Q&A.\n\n## Academic Citations\n\nThe source is cited in numerous academic papers, including:\n- *Financial Cryptography* (LNCS 2742, Springer-Verlag) — \"Schlender, B.: The Bill and Warren Show. Fortune, July 20, 1998.\"\n- *The Case Against Micropayments* (SciSpace)\n- *Expectations Investing* by Rappaport & Mauboussin\n- *China, Multinational Corporations, and Globalization* (Project MUSE)\n\nUnfortunately, the Fortune archive link appears to be dead and I couldn't find a Wayback Machine snapshot of the original article. The book *\"The Bill Gates Way\"* by Des Dearlove (1999) is one of the sources that reproduces the full quote with the Fortune citation."}],"api":"openai-completions","provider":"llamafiles","model":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M","usage":{"input":1695,"output":649,"cacheRead":20118,"cacheWrite":0,"totalTokens":22462,"cost":{"input":0,"output":0,"cacheRead":0,"cacheWrite":0,"total":0}},"stopReason":"stop","timestamp":1779611262293,"responseId":"chatcmpl-jOY6eRRUQGf35oDOvkWAYbNSigzok1nG","responseModel":"Qwen3.6-27B-Q4_K_M.gguf"}}