Bill Gates made a bombshell confession! The biggest mistake of his career, which cost Microsoft $400 billion, was linked to the loss of the smartphone market to Android. Find out how Google conquered the empire and what Bill would have done differently if he had acted sooner. A mistake that changed the history of technology!
Did you know that Bill Gates' biggest mistake in history may have cost him Microsoft an impressive fortune?
As much as the co-founder of the technology giant was one of the richest and most influential men in the world, even he did not escape the pitfalls of success.
A slip-up at the beginning of the smartphone era, involving Android, is said to be responsible for the loss of no less than 400 billion dollars.
- The Portuguese language now has a new word that reflects a modern fear. Understand what 'nomophobia' means
- Argentina's economy takes a leap forward and Argentines celebrate in Brazilian stores
- Will drivers have to take new exams to renew their driver's license? News that the driver's license has changed and now requires two exams is spreading across the internet, but it's fake!
- Bridges that would connect 12 states on one of Brazil's main highways (BR) are abandoned
And it doesn't stop there! The story of this error resurfaces with a touch of irony on social media. But what exactly happened?
The mistake that cost billions
During an interview with Julia Hartz, CEO of Evenbrite, Bill Gates revealed the biggest mistake of his career: Microsoft's mismanagement in the early years of the smartphone revolution.
According to Gates, this mistake prevented Microsoft from becoming the owner of the mobile operating systems market, leaving room for Google and its Android to achieve the absolute dominance they have today.
In the interview, Gates stated: “The biggest mistake of all was the mismanagement I got into, which resulted in Microsoft not being what Android is today.”
For him, the lack of strategic vision and the failure to realize the importance of the cell phone market cost his company billions of dollars.
He estimates that if he had made the right decision, Microsoft would now be in control of a market worth around $400 billion.
How did Android escape Microsoft's clutches?
In the early days of Android, Microsoft was in a prime position to acquire the operating system.
At the time, Android was between Google and Microsoft, and Bill Gates' giant had a unique chance to dominate the platform before Google.
However, a series of administrative errors and a resistance to adapting to the new market caused Microsoft to lose this opportunity.
With this, Google pushed Android forward, quickly becoming the dominant platform for mobile devices.
Instead of acting quickly, Microsoft tried to develop its own operating system, Windows Phone, which failed to achieve the expected success, becoming a commercial failure.
The irony of a colossal mistake
The most interesting thing about this story is that, years later, Android co-founder Andy Rubin seems not to miss the opportunity to make fun of Gates' failure.
In a tongue-in-cheek post on his X account, Rubin said his goal in creating Android was to prevent Microsoft from taking complete control of mobile devices, as it had done in the PC market.
“Sorry, Bill, but you are more responsible for the loss of $400 billion than you realize,” Rubin wrote, with a touch of irony that went viral on social media.
Bill Gates' lesson on innovation
Gates' admission of Microsoft's strategic mistake has major implications for the technology world.
The smartphone revolution brought to light the power of the Android operating system and reinforced the idea that, in the digital world, whoever dominates the platforms controls the market.
Not only did Gates miss out on a golden opportunity, he also helped pave the way for Google to become the empire it is today.
The lesson we can learn from this is that, in the technology world, decisions made early on can determine the future of a company.
A simple miscalculation or hesitation can cost billions, as was the case with Bill Gates and Microsoft.
“If I had gotten in earlier, Microsoft would be dominating the mobile market, not Google,” Gates said, reflecting on the consequences of this failure.
The impact of not dominating the smartphone market
Today, Android leads with an impressive market share, and its importance goes beyond the smartphone operating system.
The platform is essential for many other technologies, such as wearables, smart home devices and even connected cars.
On the other hand, Microsoft has struggled to find its place in the mobile device market, with Windows Phone being discontinued after failing to attract developers and users.
If Microsoft had taken a more aggressive and early approach, the scenario could have been very different.
Gates himself admits that failing to foresee the smartphone revolution was a crucial mistake for the company's history and, consequently, for its billion-dollar portfolio.
The chance Microsoft missed for Google
Bill Gates, in his words, states that the key to success in the cell phone market was the massive presence of applications, something that Android achieved before any other operating system.
“There is room for exactly one operating system that is not Apple,” Gates said, acknowledging that if Microsoft had positioned itself strategically, it could have gained control of the market.
Today, while Microsoft is trying to reverse its position in the smartphone market through application software and its participation in cloud technologies, Google remains dominant with Android, one of the greatest successes in the history of technology.
The price of hesitation
Bill Gates' mistake in the 2000s cost Microsoft an empire that could have been its own, but was instead taken by Google.
With a more aggressive vision and quicker decision, Microsoft could have become the undisputed leader in the smartphone market.
Now, Gates' words serve as a warning to other technology companies that might hesitate in the face of new opportunities: the future could be decided by a single strategic move.
Do you think Microsoft still has a chance to recover what it lost to Google? Or is the Android empire unbeatable? Leave your opinion in the comments!