Bill Gates Got an Offer to Be Trump's Science Advisor and 26 Other Weird Things We've Learned About HimNot only is he one of the wealthiest people in the world, but he's also a philanthropist, an author and even a knight.

With a net worth of more than $86 billion,Bill Gatesis known for being one of the richest people in the world. But there's a lot more you probably don't know about the Microsoft co-founder.

Gates was born in Seattle in 1955 and discovered hispassionfor technology early on. In school, he met long-time friend and future co-founder Paul Allen. Together, they launched another small-business venture before coming up with the idea for Microsoft.

Related:5 Life Lessons From Bill Gates, One of the Most Influential Philanthropists on Earth

Until he realized his desire to pursue computers, Gates had planned to become a lawyer and studied pre-law at Harvard. He eventually dropped out, launched Microsoft and met his employee and future wife, Melinda. Today, Gates is not only a self-made billionaire and tech leader, but he's also a philanthropist, an author and even a knight.

Check out these 27 surprising facts about Bill Gates.

Additional reporting by Nina Zipkin

1. Gates developed his first computer software program at 13 years old.

在公立学校花费几年之后,盖茨later attended the Lakeside School, a private preparatory school in Seattle. It was there that Gates discovered his passion for computer programming and met Paul Allen, who became his close friend and later Microsoft co-founder. He also developed hisfirst computer software programat age 13. Using BASIC computer language, the program was a tic-tac-toe game in which players could compete against the computer.

2. Gates fixed his highschool's class scheduling software so he was in all-girls classes.

The Lakeside School recruited Gates to help code its class scheduling system. Gates took advantage of his new task and his coding abilities, and he and his long-time pal and later Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen tweaked the school's scheduling software andplaced Gates in all-girls classes.

"Paul did the computer scheduling with me. Unfortunately for him he was two years ahead of me and he was off to college by then. So I was the one who benefited by being able to have the nice girls at least sit near me," Gates shared with英国广播公司.

3. Gates and Allen formed a business partnership before Microsoft.

From the moment they met in middle school, Gates and Allen became friends -- likely because of their common interest in computer programming. While in school, the two formed a company calledTraf-O-Data. They put together a small computer based on an Intel 8008 chip that measured and analyzed traffic data for the Washington state highway department. Gates and Allen made about$20,000from the venture, but it slowly dissolved as Allen went on to work for Honeywell in Boston and Gates enrolled at Harvard.

4. He almost had a perfect SAT score.

It's hardly shocking that the genius got a near-perfect score on his SATs. Gates scored a1590 out of 1600on the college entrance exams.

5. Gates originally studied law in college.

In 1973, Gates beganstudying pre-lawat Harvard University, planning to follow in the footsteps of his lawyer father. Although by his sophomore year, Gates's plans changed and he began taking some of the school's most rigorous math and science courses. Then, two years into his Harvard career, Gates dropped out to pursue Microsoft.

6. Gates was arrested twice for his driving.

In 1975, in his Porsche 911, 19-year-oldGates was arrestedfor speeding and driving without a license. But he didn't learn his lesson -- two years later, Gates was arrested again in Albuquerque, N.M., for another traffic violation and for driving without his license.

There's speculation that the generic user icon inMicrosoft Outlook 10is actually a silhouette of Gates's mugshot.

7. His wife, Melinda, used to work for him.

After graduating from Duke University in 1986, Melinda Gates landed her first job at a startup -- Microsoft.

"I just thought, "Oh my gosh. I have to work at this company. They are changing the world. And if I get an offer, there's no way I'm not going to take it,' " Melinda toldCBS News.

Melinda scored the job, and shortly into her time working there, she made a great impression on the boss.

Related:Warren Buffett and Bill Gates's Top Secret to Success

"I met her at a New York City sales meeting," Bill toldCBS. "And then it was only a week or so after that, that I went up to her in the parking lot and asked if she wanted to go out."

8. He was once the youngest billionaire ever.

Gates made his first billion in 1987 at the age of 31, making him theyoungest billionaireever at that time.

9. On his wedding day, he rented out every room at the hotel.

To ensure privacy, Gatesrented out all 250 roomsat the Manele Bay Hotel in Lanai, Hawaii, where his wedding party was staying. At the time (1994), Gates was the second-richest person in America. Taking an extra precaution to keep the media and paparazzi from flying overhead, Gates reportedly hired all of the helicopters on Maui, too.

10. He used to memorizehis employees'slicense platenumbersto keeptabs onthem.

You'd think a simple punch card or check-in system might suffice -- not for Gates. Gatesmemorized the license platesof his employees so he would know when they arrived at and left work.

"I knew everyone's license plate, so I could look out in the parking lot and see when did people come in, when were they leaving. Eventually I had to loosen up, as the company got to a reasonable size," he revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discsprogram.

11. Gates bought Leonardo da Vinci'sCodex Leicestermanuscript for $30.8 million.

Besides his private plane, Gates's other big splurge wasLeonardo da Vinci'sCodex Leicestermanuscript, which dates back to the 16th century. In a 1994 auction, Gates won the manuscript for $30.8 million, making it the most expensive book in the world. Gates sometimes puts the book on loan to museums.

12. In 1995, Gates becamethe richest man in the world.

In July 1995, at 39 years old, Gates became therichest man in the world129亿美元的财富。他已经lost that title a few times, but he held the top spot on theForbesWorld's Billionaires real-time ranking in March 2017.

13. He got pied in the faceduring a trip to Brussels.

During a 1998 trip to Brussels, Belgium, Gates was on his way into a meeting with more than 400 Belgian educators, business leaders and government officials. Upon entering the building, Gates wasstruck in the face with a pie. After the incident, Belgian prankster and personality Noel Godin took responsibility for the prank, and Gates didn't press charges.

"The pie wasn't even that good," a Microsoft spokesperson reported Gates as saying.

14. Bill and Melinda Gatesrun the largest privatefoundationin the world.

The couple launched theBill and Melinda Gates Foundationin 2000. Withdonationsfrom major investors, public figures and celebrities such as Warren Buffett, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Jack Nicklaus and Big Sean, it has become the largest private foundation in the world. In 2015, itreporteda $39.6 billion trust endowment.

15. He was knighted by the Queen.

In 2005, Gates received anhonorary knighthoodfrom Queen Elizabeth of England for his charitable work and achievements in technology. Gates and his wife, Melinda, met the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace for the ceremony, during which he received his "KBE" title -- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Gates is unable to be referred to as "Sir" because he is not a British citizen.

16. The number-one thing on his bucket list is not dying.

In 2013, Gates held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. During the session, Gates was asked if he had anything left on hisbucket list. His response? "Don't die…"

Related:How Bill Gates Became a Leadership Legend

17. His bedtime routine involves reading … and washing the dishes.

Even the richest man in the world makes time to complete his house chores. In a2014 Reddit AMA, Gates shared that he washes his family's dirty dishes every night. He even finds the task enjoyable. "Other people volunteer but I like the way I do it," he said.

In addition to washing the dishes, another part of Gates's bedtime routine involves reading for an hour. Even if it's late into the night, he makes sure to get in a solid 60 minutes before bed, because for him, "It's part of falling asleep," he once toldThe Seattle Times.

18. If he could have a superpower, it would be "more energy."

In their2016 annual letter, Bill and Melinda shared the superpowers they wished they could have. The first things to come to mind for the average person might be x-ray vision, invisibility or time travel -- but Melinda and Bill said they wanted more time and more energy.

Bill said he wished for more energy, explaining that many people underestimate the importance of energy access -- from turning on a light switch to pressing the power button on a laptop. "Without access to energy, the poor are stuck in the dark, denied all of these benefits and opportunities that come with power."

19. Bill and Melinda Gates's favorite number is 122 million.

In their2017 annual letter to Warren Buffett, who donated a chunk of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the couple wrote that 122 million is their favorite number. It is the number of children's lives that have been saved since 1990 as the mortality rate has declined.

20. To disguise himself, Gates wears a hat.

To ward off any unwanted attention, Gates resorts to an old-school tactic -- wearing a hat. During a 2017 Reddit AMA, Gates was asked if he ever disguises himself in public.

"I sometimes wear a hat," Gateswrote. "For example when I did college tours with my son I wanted the focus to be totally on him. A lot less people recognize me when I have a hat on or else they realize I am trying to be incognito."

21. Bill and Melinda Gatesare giving $10 million toeach of their kids.

As of March 2017,Forbesreports Bill Gates's net worth to be $86.6 billion. That's why it comes as a surprise that he and Melinda are planning to give only$10 millionto each of their three kids. It's a massive figure to most of us, but it's pocket change for this billionaire. Most of the Gates's fortune will go to charitable foundations, including their own Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

22.He doesn't do his own grocery shopping

During a visit tothe Ellen Show,host Ellen DeGeneres putGates通过他的步,看看这位亿万富翁,by all rights is very knowledgeable about the state of the world, could guess the prices of everyday grocery items. When was the last time the Microsoft founder set foot in a store to do his own shopping? "Long time ago," he admitted. Spoiler alert: He very sort of passed the test, with a little help from the audience.

23.He typically doesn't do big purchases, with one exception.

In aninterviewwith Ellen DeGeneres, Gates shared that even after he became a billionaire, he always erred on the side of caution. "I always wanted to have enough money in the bank so that even if our customers didn't pay us for a year, we could still keep paying everybody and do the R&D," he said. While Gates confessed to not having particularly extravagant tastes, he said that he has used his fortune for some transportation-related purchases -- a porsche in the early years and a plane for Gates Foundation travel. But there is one whimsical exception to the rule. "We have a trampoline room in our house. The kids like that. Indoor trampolines. I recommend it," Gates said. "It's a room with a very high ceiling."

24. He wishes he had been more socialable during college.

During an April 2018Q&A session at Harvard, which Gates dropped out of in 1975, a student asked the Microsoft co-founder: "What is something that you regret doing, or maybe not doing, at Harvard?"

Thebillionaire responded, "Well, I wish I had been more sociable." He added, "I wish I had gotten to know more people. I was just so into being good at the classes and taking lots of classes."

He also revealed that Steve Ballmer, who would become CEO of Microsoft after Gates stepped down, would drag Gates out to party.

"I was so antisocial I wouldn't have even known they existed, but Steve Ballmer decided I needed some exposure to, I guess, drinking," Gates said. "So, I would go to those events and that was highly educational."

25. Mr. Gates Goes to Washington?

In a recent interview, the entrepreneur and philanthropist shared that during a conversation with President Donald Trump around the potential for auniversal flu vaccine, he got an unexpected job offer. "I mentioned: "Hey, maybe we should have a science adviser,'" he recalled in conversation with science websiteStat. "He said: Did I want to be the science adviser?" In the end, Gates courteously had to decline. "That's not a good use of my time," he said.

26. He thought about getting into politics.

盖茨的父亲是一名律师,微软co-founder considered following in his footsteps when he was in high school. In 1972, when Gates was 16, he spent the summer in Washington, D.C., to work as acongressionalpage. He was tasked with delivering legislation to the floor of the House and documents to the offices of various congressional representatives. The experience ultimately gave him the clarity to realize that the world of politics wasn't for him and led him down the path of pursuing business and technology.

27. He has some serious real estate.

Gates has a home in Medina, Wash., calledXanadu 2.0, named after the mansion belonging to the title character inCitizen Kane.That fictional estate was relatively luxurious, and Gates's is no slouch in that department. It took seven years and $63 million to build the 66,000 square foot space, which houses a reception room, six kitchens, 24 bathrooms, a library with rare manuscripts, a home theater, a trampoline room and a stream that's home to salmon and trout. Plus, computer screens around the house can display any artwork you'd like.