MESSAGE
| DATE | 2005-03-02 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Sir Bill
|
Does this mean we can face him now in a lethal battle?
Ruben
update Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates was awarded an
honorary knighthood by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday for his
outstanding contribution to enterprise and for his charitable
activities.
Gates, the world's wealthiest man, received the award from the queen in
a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
He becomes a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire, an honor that dates back to 1917, though monarchs have
been creating knights for hundreds of years.
"I am humbled and delighted, Gates said in a statement. "I'm
particularly pleased that this honor helps recognize the real heroes our
foundation supports to improve health in poor countries."
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds research into infectious
diseases and reproductive health, and also has initiatives in the area
of education.
Gates also called attention to Microsoft's 23-year history in the United
Kingdom. "The U.K. was the first country in which Microsoft set up a
subsidiary outside the U.S., and our experience in the U.K. has been
significant in shaping our international growth," he said.
Microsoft's British work force totals nearly 2,000 employees. The
company also has a research facility in Cambridge, England, the first
such laboratory it set up outside the United States.
Britons and citizens of the Commonwealth are entitled to add the title
"Sir" in front of their names, but that honor does not extend to other
nationalities.
When it was announced last year that Gates was to be knighted, Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw paid tribute to him.
"(Gates) is one of the most important business leaders of his age," he
said. "Microsoft technology has transformed business practices, and his
company has had a profound impact on the British economy.
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