25 Freaky Facts about Bill Gates

PocketEpiphany Published 06/23/2022 in wow

For better or for worse, we're living in Bill Gates' world. After all, he helped create the digital world that we take for granted each day.

Generally speaking, people think of Bill Gates as a boring square. However, these freaky facts will change how you see the man and what you think of this digital world he helped shape. Thanks to Reddit, we've got the deets.

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1.
Bill Gates once held up a line at a supermarket searching for a 50-cent coupon. -u/LetsPlayCanasta
2.
When Bill Gates got married, he bought out all the available hotel rooms in Lanai to keep media from staying there & hired all the helicopters on Maui to keep photographers from flying over the wedding. -u/Battle4Seattle
3.
Warren Buffet, the world's third-richest man with a net worth of 75 billion, took Bill Gates to McDonald's and paid for his meal using coupons. -u/EddieC1088
4.
Bill Gates succeeded in his mission to build a toilet to help combat the sanitary crisis across multiple parts of Africa and India. Costing $350, it’s powered by worms, and doesn't require to be hooked up to a sewer system. -u/watrbuffalo95
5.
Bill gates purchased Leonardo da Vinci's Codex for $30,802,500. Three years later he had its pages scanned into digital image files, some of which were later distributed as a screensaver and wallpaper files on a CD-ROM as part of a Microsoft Plus! for Windows so everyone could enjoy them. -u/ImTheGerbilKing
6.
A 9-yr-old Pakistani girl, Arfa Karim, was the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) until 2008. When she suffered cardiac arrest in 2011, Bill Gates assembled an international panel of doctors to advise the local physicians treating her and offered to pay for treatment in the U.S. -u/anon_ymous_
7.
Bill Gates has a McDonald’s Gold Card for unlimited free fast food. -u/Pixelmasterz
8.
Bill Gates predicted that the growth of instructional software will replace textbooks. However, in a 2018 survey of college students, the trade publication Library Journal found that 75 percent say that reading print books is easier than e-books. -u/vannybros
9.
Before proposing to Melinda, Bill Gates presented her with a whiteboard listing out the pros and cons of getting married. -u/SonOfQuora
10.
Soon after Bill Gates had gone to start Microsoft, a Harvard professor who had worked with him recalled, "He had moved to Albuquerque... to run a small company writing code for microprocessors, of all things. I remember thinking: 'Such a brilliant kid. What a waste.'" -u/MountainWafer
11.
Hospital staff were stunned when Bill Gates made an unexpected visit in 2010 to the death bed of Dr. Ed Roberts, his first employer and developer of the first commercially successful personal computer. -u/Sansabina
12.
When Steve Jobs accused Microsoft of stealing idea for Windows from Mac, Bill Gates replied: "Well, Steve.... I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it." -u/tinkrman
13.
Bill Gates has donated more than $50 billion to charity. -u/insane_playzYT
14.
In 1989, Bill Gates answered a Microsoft tech support call, and identified himself only as "William", then solved the issue. The customer called back later specifically requesting him. -u/deanylev
15.
The generic silhouette in Microsoft Outlook 2010 is actually a shadow cutout of Bill Gates' mugshot when he got arrested for a driving offense in 1977. -u/d_tothe_ust2353
16.
Bill Gates once released mosquitos during a Ted Talk, stating that "poor people shouldn't be the only ones to have this experience." -u/Olek173
17.
Bill Gates' mother, Mary, knew John Opel, CEO of IBM, because both served on the national United Way committee. At Mary's request, Opel set up a meeting with Bill Gates, CEO of then-small software firm Microsoft, to discuss the possibility of using PC-DOS for IBM's about-to-be-released PC. -u/design-responsibly
18.
Bill Gates coyly defended his LSD use by saying 'I never missed a day of work.' -u/longingforlong
19.
Solitaire was created by a Microsoft intern who wasn't paid for the game. Bill Gates liked the idea but complained it was too difficult to win at this game. Original version also included a fake Excel spreadsheet to hide the game from your boss. -u/topredditgeek
20.
When Sega was discontinuing the Dreamcast in 2001, Chairman Isao Okawa offered Microsoft their assets so that the Xbox could have backwards compatibility with Dreamcast games so the console could live on in some way. Okawa met with Bill Gates several times before negotiations fell through. -u/derstherower
21.
Bill Gates accidentally got into philanthropy after he and his wife accidentally came across extremely impoverished people while they were sight seeing. He now says philanthropy is the "best job in the world." -deleted user
22.
Bill Gates wrote his school's computer program for scheduling students in their classes. He edited it so he would end up sitting with female students. -u/Deadpooldan
23.
Control+Alt+Delete was used to log into Windows. According to Bill Gates, there was an option to make a single button for such a command, but the IBM keyboard designer didn’t want to give Microsoft a single button. So Microsoft decided to use “Ctrl+Alt+Del” as a way to log into Windows. -u/lopezjessy
24.
Nebraska's highest honor is being a 'Nebraska Admiral', despite Nebraska being the US's only triply-landlocked state. It has been awarded to numerous presidents, Bill Gates and Bill Murray, and The Queen. -u/Discount_Timelord
25.
An Atari executive recalled that he showed Bill Gates a game and defeated him 35 of 37 times. When they met again a month later, Gates won or tied every game. He had studied the game until he solved it. -u/Yubisaki_Milk_Tea

1.
Bill Gates once held up a line at a supermarket searching for a 50-cent coupon. -u/LetsPlayCanasta
2.
When Bill Gates got married, he bought out all the available hotel rooms in Lanai to keep media from staying there & hired all the helicopters on Maui to keep photographers from flying over the wedding. -u/Battle4Seattle
3.
Warren Buffet, the world's third-richest man with a net worth of 75 billion, took Bill Gates to McDonald's and paid for his meal using coupons. -u/EddieC1088
4.
Bill Gates succeeded in his mission to build a toilet to help combat the sanitary crisis across multiple parts of Africa and India. Costing $350, it’s powered by worms, and doesn't require to be hooked up to a sewer system. -u/watrbuffalo95
5.
Bill gates purchased Leonardo da Vinci's Codex for $30,802,500. Three years later he had its pages scanned into digital image files, some of which were later distributed as a screensaver and wallpaper files on a CD-ROM as part of a Microsoft Plus! for Windows so everyone could enjoy them. -u/ImTheGerbilKing
6.
A 9-yr-old Pakistani girl, Arfa Karim, was the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) until 2008. When she suffered cardiac arrest in 2011, Bill Gates assembled an international panel of doctors to advise the local physicians treating her and offered to pay for treatment in the U.S. -u/anon_ymous_
7.
Bill Gates has a McDonald’s Gold Card for unlimited free fast food. -u/Pixelmasterz
8.
Bill Gates predicted that the growth of instructional software will replace textbooks. However, in a 2018 survey of college students, the trade publication Library Journal found that 75 percent say that reading print books is easier than e-books. -u/vannybros
9.
Before proposing to Melinda, Bill Gates presented her with a whiteboard listing out the pros and cons of getting married. -u/SonOfQuora
10.
Soon after Bill Gates had gone to start Microsoft, a Harvard professor who had worked with him recalled, "He had moved to Albuquerque... to run a small company writing code for microprocessors, of all things. I remember thinking: 'Such a brilliant kid. What a waste.'" -u/MountainWafer
11.
Hospital staff were stunned when Bill Gates made an unexpected visit in 2010 to the death bed of Dr. Ed Roberts, his first employer and developer of the first commercially successful personal computer. -u/Sansabina
12.
When Steve Jobs accused Microsoft of stealing idea for Windows from Mac, Bill Gates replied: "Well, Steve.... I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it." -u/tinkrman
13.
Bill Gates has donated more than $50 billion to charity. -u/insane_playzYT
14.
In 1989, Bill Gates answered a Microsoft tech support call, and identified himself only as "William", then solved the issue. The customer called back later specifically requesting him. -u/deanylev
15.
The generic silhouette in Microsoft Outlook 2010 is actually a shadow cutout of Bill Gates' mugshot when he got arrested for a driving offense in 1977. -u/d_tothe_ust2353
16.
Bill Gates once released mosquitos during a Ted Talk, stating that "poor people shouldn't be the only ones to have this experience." -u/Olek173
17.
Bill Gates' mother, Mary, knew John Opel, CEO of IBM, because both served on the national United Way committee. At Mary's request, Opel set up a meeting with Bill Gates, CEO of then-small software firm Microsoft, to discuss the possibility of using PC-DOS for IBM's about-to-be-released PC. -u/design-responsibly
18.
Bill Gates coyly defended his LSD use by saying 'I never missed a day of work.' -u/longingforlong
19.
Solitaire was created by a Microsoft intern who wasn't paid for the game. Bill Gates liked the idea but complained it was too difficult to win at this game. Original version also included a fake Excel spreadsheet to hide the game from your boss. -u/topredditgeek
20.
When Sega was discontinuing the Dreamcast in 2001, Chairman Isao Okawa offered Microsoft their assets so that the Xbox could have backwards compatibility with Dreamcast games so the console could live on in some way. Okawa met with Bill Gates several times before negotiations fell through. -u/derstherower
21.
Bill Gates accidentally got into philanthropy after he and his wife accidentally came across extremely impoverished people while they were sight seeing. He now says philanthropy is the "best job in the world." -deleted user
22.
Bill Gates wrote his school's computer program for scheduling students in their classes. He edited it so he would end up sitting with female students. -u/Deadpooldan
23.
Control+Alt+Delete was used to log into Windows. According to Bill Gates, there was an option to make a single button for such a command, but the IBM keyboard designer didn’t want to give Microsoft a single button. So Microsoft decided to use “Ctrl+Alt+Del” as a way to log into Windows. -u/lopezjessy
24.
Nebraska's highest honor is being a 'Nebraska Admiral', despite Nebraska being the US's only triply-landlocked state. It has been awarded to numerous presidents, Bill Gates and Bill Murray, and The Queen. -u/Discount_Timelord
25.
An Atari executive recalled that he showed Bill Gates a game and defeated him 35 of 37 times. When they met again a month later, Gates won or tied every game. He had studied the game until he solved it. -u/Yubisaki_Milk_Tea

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1. Bill Gates once held up a line at a supermarket searching for a 50-cent coupon. -u/LetsPlayCanasta

2. When Bill Gates got married, he bought out all the available hotel rooms in Lanai to keep media from staying there & hired all the helicopters on Maui to keep photographers from flying over the wedding. -u/Battle4Seattle

3. Warren Buffet, the world's third-richest man with a net worth of 75 billion, took Bill Gates to McDonald's and paid for his meal using coupons. -u/EddieC1088

4. Bill Gates succeeded in his mission to build a toilet to help combat the sanitary crisis across multiple parts of Africa and India. Costing $350, it’s powered by worms, and doesn't require to be hooked up to a sewer system. -u/watrbuffalo95

7. Bill Gates has a McDonald’s Gold Card for unlimited free fast food. -u/Pixelmasterz

8. Bill Gates predicted that the growth of instructional software will replace textbooks. However, in a 2018 survey of college students, the trade publication Library Journal found that 75 percent say that reading print books is easier than e-books. -u/vannybros

9. Before proposing to Melinda, Bill Gates presented her with a whiteboard listing out the pros and cons of getting married. -u/SonOfQuora

10. Soon after Bill Gates had gone to start Microsoft, a Harvard professor who had worked with him recalled, "He had moved to Albuquerque... to run a small company writing code for microprocessors, of all things. I remember thinking: 'Such a brilliant kid. What a waste.'" -u/MountainWafer

11. Hospital staff were stunned when Bill Gates made an unexpected visit in 2010 to the death bed of Dr. Ed Roberts, his first employer and developer of the first commercially successful personal computer. -u/Sansabina

12. When Steve Jobs accused Microsoft of stealing idea for Windows from Mac, Bill Gates replied: "Well, Steve.... I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it." -u/tinkrman

13. Bill Gates has donated more than $50 billion to charity. -u/insane_playzYT

14. In 1989, Bill Gates answered a Microsoft tech support call, and identified himself only as "William", then solved the issue. The customer called back later specifically requesting him. -u/deanylev

15. The generic silhouette in Microsoft Outlook 2010 is actually a shadow cutout of Bill Gates' mugshot when he got arrested for a driving offense in 1977. -u/d_tothe_ust2353

16. Bill Gates once released mosquitos during a Ted Talk, stating that "poor people shouldn't be the only ones to have this experience." -u/Olek173

18. Bill Gates coyly defended his LSD use by saying 'I never missed a day of work.' -u/longingforlong

19. Solitaire was created by a Microsoft intern who wasn't paid for the game. Bill Gates liked the idea but complained it was too difficult to win at this game. Original version also included a fake Excel spreadsheet to hide the game from your boss. -u/topredditgeek

21. Bill Gates accidentally got into philanthropy after he and his wife accidentally came across extremely impoverished people while they were sight seeing. He now says philanthropy is the "best job in the world." -deleted user

22. Bill Gates wrote his school's computer program for scheduling students in their classes. He edited it so he would end up sitting with female students. -u/Deadpooldan

24. Nebraska's highest honor is being a 'Nebraska Admiral', despite Nebraska being the US's only triply-landlocked state. It has been awarded to numerous presidents, Bill Gates and Bill Murray, and The Queen. -u/Discount_Timelord

25. An Atari executive recalled that he showed Bill Gates a game and defeated him 35 of 37 times. When they met again a month later, Gates won or tied every game. He had studied the game until he solved it. -u/Yubisaki_Milk_Tea

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eBaum's Picks

1.
Bill Gates once held up a line at a supermarket searching for a 50-cent coupon. -u/LetsPlayCanasta

2.
When Bill Gates got married, he bought out all the available hotel rooms in Lanai to keep media from staying there & hired all the helicopters on Maui to keep photographers from flying over the wedding. -u/Battle4Seattle

3.
Warren Buffet, the world's third-richest man with a net worth of 75 billion, took Bill Gates to McDonald's and paid for his meal using coupons. -u/EddieC1088

4.
Bill Gates succeeded in his mission to build a toilet to help combat the sanitary crisis across multiple parts of Africa and India. Costing $350, it’s powered by worms, and doesn't require to be hooked up to a sewer system. -u/watrbuffalo95

7.
Bill Gates has a McDonald’s Gold Card for unlimited free fast food. -u/Pixelmasterz

8.
Bill Gates predicted that the growth of instructional software will replace textbooks. However, in a 2018 survey of college students, the trade publication Library Journal found that 75 percent say that reading print books is easier than e-books. -u/vannybros

9.
Before proposing to Melinda, Bill Gates presented her with a whiteboard listing out the pros and cons of getting married. -u/SonOfQuora

10.
Soon after Bill Gates had gone to start Microsoft, a Harvard professor who had worked with him recalled, "He had moved to Albuquerque... to run a small company writing code for microprocessors, of all things. I remember thinking: 'Such a brilliant kid. What a waste.'" -u/MountainWafer

11.
Hospital staff were stunned when Bill Gates made an unexpected visit in 2010 to the death bed of Dr. Ed Roberts, his first employer and developer of the first commercially successful personal computer. -u/Sansabina

12.
When Steve Jobs accused Microsoft of stealing idea for Windows from Mac, Bill Gates replied: "Well, Steve.... I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it." -u/tinkrman

13.
Bill Gates has donated more than $50 billion to charity. -u/insane_playzYT

14.
In 1989, Bill Gates answered a Microsoft tech support call, and identified himself only as "William", then solved the issue. The customer called back later specifically requesting him. -u/deanylev

15.
The generic silhouette in Microsoft Outlook 2010 is actually a shadow cutout of Bill Gates' mugshot when he got arrested for a driving offense in 1977. -u/d_tothe_ust2353

16.
Bill Gates once released mosquitos during a Ted Talk, stating that "poor people shouldn't be the only ones to have this experience." -u/Olek173

18.
Bill Gates coyly defended his LSD use by saying 'I never missed a day of work.' -u/longingforlong

19.
Solitaire was created by a Microsoft intern who wasn't paid for the game. Bill Gates liked the idea but complained it was too difficult to win at this game. Original version also included a fake Excel spreadsheet to hide the game from your boss. -u/topredditgeek

21.
Bill Gates accidentally got into philanthropy after he and his wife accidentally came across extremely impoverished people while they were sight seeing. He now says philanthropy is the "best job in the world." -deleted user

22.
Bill Gates wrote his school's computer program for scheduling students in their classes. He edited it so he would end up sitting with female students. -u/Deadpooldan

24.
Nebraska's highest honor is being a 'Nebraska Admiral', despite Nebraska being the US's only triply-landlocked state. It has been awarded to numerous presidents, Bill Gates and Bill Murray, and The Queen. -u/Discount_Timelord

25.
An Atari executive recalled that he showed Bill Gates a game and defeated him 35 of 37 times. When they met again a month later, Gates won or tied every game. He had studied the game until he solved it. -u/Yubisaki_Milk_Tea