Q: Could you tell us about your vision for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?

Bill Gates:

The Foundation got started in the late '90s, with my dad encouraging me-an executive named Patty Stonesifer, who'd left Microsoft, were helping out. We put computers in libraries in many different countries, including the United States. We did some scholarship things. We were learning about reproductive health and population issues.

And that kept growing, and we met people who knew about vaccines. Global health was a bit over half; the U.S.-focused libraries, scholarship education work was over a quarter; it was a final piece that relates to other things to help the poorest, other than just health things- things like finance and savings.

And, you know, it grew. And then I saw that I could make a unique contribution there, and created a transition plan that was tour years in the making. And so now I'm full-time at the Foundation and playing a role of being the chairman and traveling a lot. So it's equally challenging, it's very fulfilling. It's taking this... these resources that I'm lucky enough to have because of the success of Microsoft, and giving those back to the society in a way that can have the biggest impact.

Q: Could you tell us about your vision for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation?

Bill Gates:

The Foundation got started in the late '90s, with my dad encouraging me-an executive named Patty Stonesifer, who'd left Microsoft, were helping out. We put computers in libraries in many different countries, including the United States. We did some scholarship things. We were learning about reproductive health and population issues.

And that kept growing, and we met people who knew about vaccines. Global health was a bit over half; the U.S.-focused libraries, scholarship education work was over a quarter; it was a final piece that relates to other things to help the poorest, other than just health things- things like finance and savings.

And, you know, it grew. And then I saw that I could make a unique contribution there, and created a transition plan that was tour years in the making. And so now I'm full-time at the Foundation and playing a role of being the chairman and traveling a lot. So it's equally challenging, it's very fulfilling. It's taking this... these resources that I'm lucky enough to have because of the success of Microsoft, and giving those back to the society in a way that can have the biggest impact.