This week we heard news from the world’s most famous and successful college dropout. Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporters Todd Bishop and John Cook launched a new tech blog Wednesday, backed by the Puget Sound Business Journal, and they lead off with a story on Bill Gates’ new business venture.

Apparently he applied for a trademark on the company name BGC3 and the C3 logo back in September.

It’s not entirely clear what the aims of the new company are, though the trademark application indicates “think tank services.” So what is Bill and his new crew going to be thinking about? It’s not meant to be a commercial venture, according to Bishop’s sources. What it will do, is coordinate Gates’ philanthropic and business ventures. It will also lend structure to Gates’ personal pursuit of new technology discoveries.

This isn’t the first time Gates has started a company to address his myriad needs and interests. His Cascade Investments, LLC exists to handle his stock and financial holdings, while Watermark Estate Management Services manges his personal and family matters.

But on this company, despite his presence in the name – the BG is obvious, the C stands for “catalyst – his name isn’t mentioned in any company-related public documents. That’s how this slipped by the press for so long.

So what’s Bill Gates up to?

He’s got history backing programs on alternative nuclear power, and has interests as disparate as biotechnology and economics, on top of the computers he’s caused us to know and love so well.

So it seems like Redmond’s favorite citizen is up to something again, but as of yet it’s still pretty mysterious. He turns 53 next week. Seems like a pretty good way to kick off a guy’s retirement years.