Bill Gates once said the richest man he ever met wasn’t a billionaire—but a humble entrepreneur named Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank.

Who Is Muhammad Yunus?

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and economist who pioneered the concept of microcredit—small loans given to impoverished people, especially women, to help them start businesses and escape poverty. He founded Grameen Bank in 1983, and his work has transformed millions of lives across the globe.

In 2006, Yunus and Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social development from the grassroots level.

Why Did Bill Gates Call Him the Richest Man?

In a speech, Gates explained that Yunus’s wealth wasn’t measured in dollars, but in impact. He said:

“He’s the richest man I’ve ever met—rich in dignity, rich in humanity, rich in the number of lives he’s touched.”

For Gates, who has spent decades in philanthropy through the Gates Foundation, Yunus represented a kind of wealth that transcends financial metrics: the ability to uplift others and create lasting change.

The Power of Microfinance

Grameen Bank’s model has inspired similar initiatives worldwide. Some key achievements include:

• Over 9 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women.

• Repayment rates above 95%, proving that the poor are creditworthy.

• Expansion into sectors like housing, education, and renewable energy.

Yunus’s philosophy challenges traditional banking and development models. He believes that poverty is not created by poor people, but by the systems that exclude them.

Gates and Yunus: Shared Vision

Both Gates and Yunus believe in using innovation to solve global problems. While Gates focuses on technology and health, Yunus emphasizes financial inclusion and social business. Their meeting was a convergence of two powerful ideas: capitalism with conscience and technology with purpose.