The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates - Bloomberg Business

The saga of the computing industry is rich with outsize
characters and surprising plot turns, but there's one story that has
risen over time to mythic proportions. It's the tale of how software
pioneer Gary Kildall missed out on the opportunity to supply IBM (IBM
) with the operating system for its first PC -- essentially
handing the chance of a lifetime, and control of tech's future, to rival
Bill Gates and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT
). In the process, he may have missed out on becoming the world's
richest man.




The legend goes like this: One fateful day in the summer of
1980, three buttoned-down IBMers called on a band of hippie programmers
at Digital Research Inc. located in Pacific Grove, Calif. They hoped to
discuss licensing DRI's industry-leading operating system, CP/M.
Instead, DRI founder Gary Kildall blew off IBM to gallivant around in
his airplane, and the frustrated IBMers turned to Gates for their
operating system. This anecdote has been told so often that techies need
only be reminded of "the day Gary Kildall went flying" to recall the
rest. While he's revered for his technical innovations, many believe
Kildall made one of the biggest mistakes in the history of commerce.



The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates - Bloomberg Business