Next Bill Gates could be from India or China: survey

A sizeable number of Americans believe that the next Bill Gates would come from India or China - as the two Asian giants are fast marching ahead on the global platform, a new US survey has revealed.

"When asked where the 'next Bill Gates will come from,' 40 per cent of Americans predicted either India or China," said a national survey released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on the sidelines of the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow at Las Vegas.

The vast majority of them, about 96 per cent, believe that innovation was critical to the future success of the US as a world economic leader, but they were concerned that the rising federal deficit would jeopardize prosperity of future generations, the survey said.

The economic survey, conducted by Zogby International, found that 68 per cent of Americans think innovation was key
to the future success of their place of employment, with 50 per cent maintaining that innovation was important for their
job remaining in the US.

After the World Economic Forum reported that the US has lost its global competitiveness ranking while India, China
and Brazil have gained, 74 per cent of Americans said it was unlikely the US would regain its status next year.