Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates has highlighted the importance of reading in facilitating his career transition from technology to philanthropy.

What Happened: Gates, a renowned bibliophile, disclosed on the “What Now? With Trevor Noah” podcast that his love for reading was instrumental in his career metamorphosis, as reported by CNBC.

“I was lucky enough that as other people took over Microsoft, I got to go and read and learn about all the health challenges, why children die,” stated Gates.

See Also: Musk Thanks Right-Wing German Paper’s Editor For Lauding Tesla CEO’s ‘F**k You’ To Advertisers As Triumph Against Woke Culture

In 1997, three years before stepping down as Microsoft’s CEO, Gates and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, came across an article about the global death toll of children due to easily curable diseases. This information significantly impacted Gates when he resigned from Microsoft in 2000 and subsequently devoted his resources to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The foundation, since 2000, has allocated $53.8 billion to fight against global health crises such as AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Gates asserts that their efforts have helped halve the number of deaths of children under five years old despite critiques regarding transparency and oversight.

Gates asserts that his reading habit has not only ignited his curiosity about the world but has also influenced his career and the work he does with his foundation significantly.

Read Next: Bill Ackman Reveals He Holds $10M Stake In Elon Musk’s X Amid Antisemitism Controversy: ‘Whether We Make A Profit…Is Not Important’

Photo by Shuttershock