Bill Gates confesses: This mistake cost Microsoft $400 billion. This error cost Microsoft 400 million US dollars
In the world of technology, an interesting story has recently unfolded. Bill Gates, the founder and former CEO of Microsoft, openly admitted that one of his mistakes cost the company around USD 400 billion.
January 15, 2025 12:55
Speaking to Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, at the Village Global event, he admitted that the failure to enter the smartphone operating system market in time has allowed Android to become the dominant platform.
Gates mentioned that Microsoft had a great opportunity to take a major position in the mobile operating system market, but it was too late because Windows Phone only came out in 2010, when Apple and Android had already taken a major share of the market. As a result, Windows Phone was unable to attract enough developers to compete with the iOS and Android app ecosystems, ultimately leading to its decline.
Bill Gates' "complaints" were addressed by the co-founder of Android
Rich Miner, co-founder of Android, responded to Gates' comments. On the social platform X (formerly Twitter), he pointed out that Android was designed to prevent Microsoft from dominating the mobile phone market in the same way that it dominated the PC sector. Miner noted that Google's vision was to keep the mobile OS market competitive.
"Android's role in this context is particularly significant. Miner said that it was ironic to hear Gates complain about Microsoft's failure in the mobile market, because Android's goal was to bring more competition to that market. He said:
"I was directly involved in the creation of Android to prevent Microsoft from controlling phones the way they controlled PCs - by stopping innovation. So it's always funny to hear Gates complain about losing the mobile market to Android."
This story underlines the importance of innovation and strategic choices in the technology sector, and shows how even the biggest companies can make mistakes in adapting to new market trends.
Full interview with Bill Gates in English:
