The memoir also serves as a way for his children to learn about their grandparents, as his mother died in 1994 before he became a father and his father, who had Alzheimer’s and died in 2020, didn’t get to know his grandchildren well due to health issues.
Many key people in the memoir, including his parents, Paul Allen, and Kent Evans, are no longer alive. But writing about them helps him maintain a connection and find inspiration. With two more memoirs planned, Gates says he’s enjoyed the process despite sometimes worrying it might distract from his foundation work. He hopes people can learn valuable things from his memoir.
