Bill Gates to Receive an Honorary Knighthood
Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates is to receive an honorary knighthood from Britain for his services to global enterprise.
The honor is in recognition of his work in employment and education and in helping to reduce poverty in the developing world, the British Foreign Office said in an e-mailed statement.
Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, employs about 2,000 workers in Britain, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation helped set up a $210-million international scholarship program at Cambridge University.
“He is one of the most important global business leaders of this age,” Straw said in the Foreign Office statement. “His international development work makes the Gates Foundation one of the leading philanthropic organizations of the modern age.”
The recommendation for the knighthood was made by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, London’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.
Other U.S. citizens who have received the honor include former President George Bush and former mayor of New York Rudolph W. Giuliani.
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
