BACK IN THE ;80s - A GLIMPSE INTO THE ORIGINS OF TODAY'S TECH STALWARTS

The 1980s were a decade of big hair, neon fashion, and the birth of the personal computer revolution. It was during this time that some of today's tech stalwarts began their journeys, laying the groundwork for the digital world we now take for granted. Let's take a time machine back to the 1980s to discover what luminaries like Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and others were up to during this defining era.

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BILL GATES

The Birth of Microsoft

In the early ‘80s, a young Bill Gates was not yet the world’s richest man, but he was already well on his way. In 1980, Gates founded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They started with a simple yet revolutionary vision: “A computer on every desk and in every home.” It was a mission that would change the world.

During the ‘80s, Microsoft developed its first operating system, MS-DOS, which would become the cornerstone of its software empire. The ‘80s was also the decade when Gates famously signed a contract with IBM to provide an operating system for their upcoming PC. That operating system was later known as MS-DOS and became the foundation for Windows, a product that would come to dominate the personal computer market in the ‘90s.

STEVE JOBS

The Apple Revolution

The ‘80s were a period of profound significance for Steve Jobs and the company he co-founded, Apple Inc. Although Jobs had already played a pivotal role in Apple’s early history, the ‘80s saw him face both successes and setbacks that would ultimately shape the future of the tech giant. In 1980, Jobs was riding high on the success of the Apple II, one of the first mass-produced personal computers.