Though not history's most impressive nerd, Bill Gates has come to quintessentially represent our modern concept of geekdom. His bespectacled face and quirky mannerisms are famous across the world. Gates founded Microsoft in 1975, and through a series of ingenious -- some say downright underhand -- manoeuvres, Microsoft went on to make Gates the richest man on earth. Gates has a long-running rivalry with Larry Ellison of Oracle. When Gates bought an F16, Ellison attempted to buy a MiG. And let us not forget he is now one of the world's most generous philanthropists.