On `20/20': Bill Gates And Barbara Walters

If Bill Gates were a tree, what kind of tree would he be?

The world might find out Friday, when ABC airs a sit-down interview of the Microsoft chairman by Barbara Walters, who's known for the tree query.

The interview comes during one of the most challenging times in Microsoft's 23-year history. The company is fighting a drawn-out antitrust case with the U.S. Justice Department and has had to answer critics including U.S. senators, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, state attorneys general, the European Commission and the Japanese government.

ABC says Gates will defend his tactics on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m. on KOMO-TV Channel 4.

One other bit of suspense: whether the tough but prickly chief executive could succumb to Walters' other known trademark: making her subjects cry.