Bill Gates is the man we know — and many hate — as the cofounder of Microsoft and as a result the world’s second richest man. People love to hate Bill Gates and I don’t think most of it is fair.

All that money you think Gates stole from you? He’s giving it back, with interest, to the world’s poorest.

The recent and much too soon passing of Steve Jobs and the worship that followed caused some thinking people to reassess their view of Bill Gates, often portrayed as Jobs’ arch enemy.

All that money you think Apple has overcharged people? Apple still has it and Steve got and kept his share.

Apple killed competitors at least as viciously as Microsoft. For example, one of Steve’s first actions when he returned to Apple was ending a deal under which a company called Power Computing made Mac compatible PCs.

Yesterday, I read a note Gates wrote to members of the Harvard community. It speaks for itself:

I hope you will reflect on what you’ve done with your talent and energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you treat people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.

Those are not the words of a leader of business. Those are the words of a leader of people.

www.forbes.com