Optimism and pessimism are two sides of the same coin, and Gates knows this better than anyone. “I was always worried because people who worked for me were older than me and had kids, and I always thought, ‘What if we don’t get paid? Will I be able to meet the payroll?'” he told Ellen DeGeneres in 2017.
In fact, as CNBC Make It reported, Gates kept a year’s worth of cash on hand when he started Microsoft to keep the business afloat when revenues were light. Gates didn’t make his fortune by risking it all. Last updated: OctoSave Like a Pessimist, Invest Like an Optimist Here are 7 genius money and life tips from one of the world’s most famous billionaires and philanthropists, William Henry Gates III. The 67-year old Harvard dropout has certainly done well for himself, and is always willing to give advice when asked. According to Forbes’ Real Time Billionaires List, Gates is the ninth richest person on the world, with a net worth of $109.3 billion.
