Gates didn’t take much of a risk, he was never going to be homeless if his plans didn’t work out. He is pretty much the perfect example if you want to prove we don’t exist in a meritocracy.
Gates absolutely took a risk. He devoted many years of his life to something that may not have panned out. He could have spent those same years working his way up at say, IBM. Opportunity cost is a real risk. It's not the same as being homeless, but that doesn't make it not a risk.
