Bill Gates was Microsoft’s CEO when Windows 95 was released in August 1995.
Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen and served as its chief executive from 1975 until 2000. During the Windows 95 launch, he was the company’s public face and its top executive. Microsoft released the operating system to manufacturing on July 14, 1995, followed by its retail launch on August 24.
Windows 95 replaced Windows 3.1 and introduced features that became standard parts of Windows, including the Start menu, taskbar, Windows Explorer, desktop shortcuts, and stronger Plug and Play support. It also moved Microsoft’s consumer platform toward a more integrated 32-bit environment while retaining compatibility with much older software.
The launch became a major technology marketing event. Microsoft used the Rolling Stones song “Start Me Up” in advertising, and customers queued at stores for the midnight release. Steve Ballmer was already a senior Microsoft executive, but he did not become CEO until 2000. Paul Allen had left day-to-day Microsoft management years earlier, and Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014.