Why Nations Fail

by

Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

Bill Gates is the billionaire founder of Microsoft. To show that inclusive institutions promote innovation and extractive ones merely redirect wealth to the elite, Acemoglu and Robinson contrast Gates’s wealth (the result of innovation) with Carlos Slim’s, since they view Slim’s financial success as the result of dubious deals and political favors.
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Bill Gates Character Timeline in Why Nations Fail

The timeline below shows where the character Bill Gates appears in Why Nations Fail. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: So Close and Yet So Different
Global Inequality and Economic Growth Theme Icon
...or Two,” Acemoglu and Robinson contrast the two richest men in the world: the American Bill Gates and the Mexican Carlos Slim. Gates founded Microsoft, an innovative technology company. Despite Microsoft’s influential... (full context)
Global Inequality and Economic Growth Theme Icon
...and businesses to act in different ways. And while individual talent is important, innovators like Bill Gates can’t succeed unless strong institutions support them—like universities, banks, labor markets, and a legal system... (full context)