P123 MTV3 p123 .To 24 Elo 1542:06 1/3 BILLIONAIRE GATES AT PINNACLE OF COMPUTER INDUSTRY BY MARTIN WOLK SEATTLE, AUG 24 (REUTER) - BILL GATES, THE INTENSELY COMPETITIVE BILLIONAIRE LEADER OF SOFTWARE GIANT MICROSOFT CORP., BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A TEENAGE COMPUTER NERD WHOSE FIRST PRODUCT WAS DEVELOPED IN THE HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER LAB. GATES, 39, MAY STILL BE AN ADMITTEDLY "KIND OF NERDY LOOKING GUY," BUT AS HE LAUNCHES THE SOFTWARE GIANT'S WINDOWS 95 OPERATING SYSTEM HE STANDS AT THE PINNACLE OF THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY, THE RICHEST MAM IN THE WORLD WITH A STAKE IN MICROSOFT VALUED AT MORE THAN $13 BILLION. ... <122 124>

P123 MTV3 p123 .To 24 Elo 1558:20 2/3 BILLIONAIRE GATES AT PINNACLE OF COMPUTER INDUSTRY ..- WILLIAM HENRY GATES III, KNOWN BY HIFAMILY AS "TREY," DID NOT RISE FROM RAGS TO RICHES BUT WAS BORN AFFLUENT AMD BECAME UNIMAGINABLY WEALTHY BY RECOGNIZING THE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL IN SOFTWARE -- THE CODE LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS COMPUTERS TO RECOGNIZE COMMANDS AND PERFORM FUNCTIONS. THE SANDY-HAIRED, BESPECTACLED GATES, NO LONGER BOYISH-LOOKING, HAS MADE PLENTY OF ENEMIES ON HIS WAY UP WITH HIS ABRASIVE STYLE AND AGGRESSIVE BUSINESS 0RACTICES. BUT GATES AND MICROSOFT HAVE ... <122 124>

P123 MTV3 p123 .To 24 Elo 1552:48 3/3 BILLIONAIRE GATES AT PINNACLE OF COMPUTER INDUSTRY ... MANAGED TO SURVIVE NEARLY UNSCATHED DESPITE BITTER LAWSUITS CHARGING THAT THE COMPANY STOLE IDEA ANDANONGINGSERIES OF FEDERAL ANTITRUST INVESTIGATIONS CHARGING THAT THE COMPANY'S TECHMIQUES ARE <122 124>