Bill Gates, Chairman and founder of Microsoft Corporation, has been awarded an honorary Knighthood by Her Majesty the Queen. The honorary KBE is in recognition of his outstanding contribution to enterprise, employment, education and the voluntary sector in the United Kingdom. He has also made significant contributions to poverty reduction in parts of the Commonwealth and elsewhere in the developing world.

Commenting on the award today, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said:

'I am delighted that Bill Gates has been awarded this honour; he is one of the most important global business leaders of this age. Microsoft technology has transformed business practices and his company has had a profound impact on the British economy, employing 2,000 people and contributing to the development of the IT sector.

'In 2000 the Gates Foundation announced the single biggest international educational scholarship programme ever established in the United Kingdom. With an estimated worth of US$210 million, it allows 230 students to study at Cambridge University. In addition, his international development work makes the Gates Foundation one of the leading philanthropic organisations of the modern age.'

Mr Gates is a keynote speaker at the international 'Advancing Enterprise' conference to be chaired today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.

The award will be presented to Mr Gates at a later date.

Notes for Editors

2. British Honours are awarded on merit for exceptional achievement or service to British interests. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire awards were founded in 1917 to recognise service by civilians in the First World War. The order now honours civilians and service personnel for public service and other distinctions.
   
   
4. The honour KBE is that of a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Honorary awards are conferred by the Queen, on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, on those foreign nationals who have made an important contribution to British interests. They are made throughout the year and are quite distinct from the New Year and Birthday Honours Lists.
   
   
6. The Gates Foundation, established in the name of Mr Gates and his wife Melinda, has spent nearly US$7 billion since its inception in 1994, around half of which has been spent on global health issues.
   
   
8. The international 'Advancing Enterprise' conference will examine the advancement of enterprise in the 21st century, including issues around building global firms, tackling skills shortages, promoting new technology and delivering economic reform.
   
   
10. Delegates have been invited to attend from government, business and the academic world in Britain, Europe and the United States. They will hear keynote addresses from Gordon Brown, Bill Gates and (by video-link) Alan Greenspan.

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