Technically, didn't he take his silver spoon, dip it into everyone elses stuff, steal it away, and then call it his own, only to go on and sell it under the M$ brand and make tons on $?
Gates came from an already very wealthy family (oil money, I think). His father had connections at IBM, on the board if I remember correctly, which was where the sweetheart deal with IBM and the first billion came from.
I'm guessing that IBM didn't take Gates or his DOS very seriously until Charley Chaplin came along pushing stacks of floppies on TV. Backward compatibility I believe. Yup, VHS-Beta alright. I suspect the success of that ad campaign supprised even Gates.