Bill Gates masters DC -- and the world

Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft, but he’s only stepping up his influence in Washington. The man who just 15 years ago couldn’t be bothered interacting with Congress has learned to leverage his fortune to drive huge change in US education policy. Now, he’s broadening his focus to take on agricultural policy, immigration reform and even clean energy. Few doubt Gates will have an impact in these far-flung arenas: As his work on education has shown, his priorities swiftly become state and federal priorities. His ideas spark multibillion-dollar shifts in public spending.