Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and which other person?

Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

The pair established Microsoft after developing and selling a version of the BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. Their partnership helped turn software from a specialist product into a central part of the personal-computer industry. Microsoft’s name combines “microcomputer” and “software.”

The company became especially influential through MS-DOS and later Windows, which became dominant operating systems for personal computers. It also built major businesses in productivity software, cloud computing, gaming, search, and enterprise services.

Paul Allen left day-to-day Microsoft work in 1983, while Gates remained deeply involved for decades. Steve Ballmer was a later chief executive, and Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014; neither was a co-founder. Microsoft’s long-term expansion helped make it one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.