January 26, 2004

Bill Gates, Knight Commander of the British Empire

Posted by ryan at 02:00 PM in computers . | 1 Comments

Bill Gates will be knighted in recognition of his contribution to enterprise in Britain.

Gates, 48, who is the world's richest man, will receive the honorary knighthood at an unspecified date that is "mutually convenient," the Foreign Office said.

Because he is not a British citizen, the Microsoft Corp. chairman cannot use "Sir" in front of his name, but he can put the letters KBE -- Knight Commander of the British Empire -- after it.

Honorary awards to foreign nationals are conferred by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. "He is one of the most important global business leaders of this age," Straw said. "Microsoft technology has transformed business practices."

Comments

I can't argue that he hasn't done a lot for the world and given a lot of money away, something perhaps he wasn't forced to do. But I think there's a good argument for saying he's also responsible for holding back much innovation and not being so high on the scale of philanthropy when the amounts are measured relative to the potential amount. At least we won't have to call him Sir.

Posted by: agent1073 at January 26, 2004 10:42 PM