At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top - I'm afraid that's not quite right.

We believe the world changes when the boldest thinking is directed at the toughest problems

I agree with people like Richard Dawkins that mankind felt the need for creation myths. Before we really began to understand disease and the weather and things like that, we sought false explanations for them. Now science has filled in some of the realm – not all – that religion used to fill.

Nigeria has moved into low-middle-income, but their north is very poor, and the health care systems there have broken down.

Microsoft's philosophy is to 'do things better.' And Vista has given us lots of opportunity to do that.

Playing Bridge is a pretty old fashioned thing in a way that I really like. I was watching my daughter ride horses this weekend and that is also a bit old fashioned but fun. I do the dishes every night - other people volunteer but I like the way I do it.

The key thing you can do to reduce population growth is actually improve health.