"The act of writing is an act of resistance against forgetting and oblivion."
It's probably as unlikely that you would nowadays become as rich and famous as Bill Gates, as it was unlikely in the17th century that you would accede to the ranks of the French aristocracy. But the point is, it doesn't feel that way. It's made to feel, by magazines and other media outlets, that if you've got energy, a few bright ideas about technology, a garage -- you, too, could start a major thing.
Innovation is the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry, and we must invest heavily in R&D to stay competitive.