The founder of Microsoft is Bill Gates, who co-founded the company with Paul Allen in 1975. Microsoft was created to develop and sell software for personal computers, and it grew rapidly to become one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world. Gates played a pivotal role in the development of the Windows operating system, which popularized personal computing. Under Gates's leadership, Microsoft became synonymous with software innovation, and he was recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals globally, influencing the tech industry and philanthropy with his later work.