Microsoft co-founder was inspired by the Irish philanthropist who made a fortune in duty-free shopping and successfully invested it before giving it all away

When Bill and Melinda Gates announced their intention to divorce after decades of marriage, the initial response was an outpouring of sympathy – but then the rumours and insinuations began to creep out

The rise of the cult of the charismatic billionaire whose genius and benevolence will magically solve the planet’s problems is the ultimate fiction

They’re not like other fabulously wealthy couples: Billy is nerdy, Melinda is prim and they both more or less run the world together while aglow in their reputation for philanthropy. So we found ourselves scrabbling to figure out why they say they can no longer ‘grow together as a couple’

With his energy, ideas and financial clout, Bill Gates has lots to offer but this complex problem will need a vast array of responses led by democratic routes

In an in-depth interview, the Mircosoft founder explains why he has thrown his money and time behind the campaign to avoid a climate catastrophe

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’s new book is a roadmap through the environmental consequences and commercial realities of climate change