The nepotism point intrigued me, as I didn't remember that from the accounts I'd read. Sure enough: https://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/archive/the-rise-of-dos-ho

The nepotism point intrigued me, as I didn't remember that from the accounts I'd read. Sure enough: https://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/archive/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-contract-286148 https://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/archive/the-rise-of-dos-ho... "According to Fire in the Valley, he also reportedly told Gates that when IBM CEO John Opel heard Microsoft would get the contract, he said "Oh is that Mary Gates' boy's company?" since Opel and Bill Gates' mother served together on the national board of the United Way." The way it's worded makes it sound like they already had the deal aside from any nepotism, but perhaps the CEO's approval sealed it / ensured terms were kept fair.