Bill Gates Interview: 5 Facts You Didn't Know About The World's Second Wealthiest Man

You might have heard that Bill Gates and Bono are buddies -- the two philanthropists, along with Melinda Gates, were named Time's 2005 persons of the year together -- but did you know that the U2 frontman crashes at the Gates residence when his band plays a show in Seattle?

That's according to a recent interview with the Daily Mail, in which Gates speaks candidly about wealth, family and sharing his fortune. He also hums the Bruno Mars song "Billionaire" to himself and may have let the cat out of the bag on Mark Zuckerberg's engagement (or perhaps not).

What else didn't you know about the world's second wealthiest man? Check out these five facts on the Microsoft founder turned philanthropist, Bill Gates.

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He Won't Buy His Kids iPods

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However:

"They have the Windows equivalent. They have a Zune music player, which is a great Windows portable player. They are not deprived children."

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However:

"They have the Windows equivalent. They have a Zune music player, which is a great Windows portable player. They are not deprived children."

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[catz1515]

04:21 PM on 06/28/2011

hmmm, guess we forgot to mention Gates just invested Monsanto big time.

In August, a financial website published the Gates Foundation’s investment portfolio, which included recent purchases of 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock estimated to be worth over $23 million

“The Foundation’s direct investment in Monsanto is problematic on two primary levels,” said Dr. Phil Bereano, University of Washington Professor Emeritus and recognized expert on genetic engineering in a press release. “First, Monsanto has a history of blatant disregard for the interests and well-being of small farmers around the world, as well as an appalling environmental track record. The strong connections to Monsanto cast serious doubt on the Foundation’s heavy funding of agricultural development in Africa and purported goal of alleviating poverty and hunger among small-scale farmers. Second, this investment represents an enormous conflict of interests.”

Monsanto is a notorious bully in the agricultural business; misleading farmers, lobbying politicians, and flirting with supreme court judges until they agree to pass legislation that edges out small family and organic farms.

News of the Gates Foundation’s recent Monsanto investment has confirmed the misgivings of many farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates in Africa, among them the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition, who commented, “We have long suspected that the founders of AGRA—the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—had a long and more intimate affair with Monsanto.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/gates-invests-millions-in-monsanto.html#ixzz1QbW9jbvF

[sudosurfer]

01:40 PM on 06/15/2011

Gee, I wonder when everyone will be able to afford Kindles (sic) and libraries will be a thing of the past. What does this have to do with obscure books, anyway?

[sudosurfer]

01:33 PM on 06/15/2011

Wow, now that's a pretty penny to spend on a DaVinci notebook, when people in our country are starving, homeless,uneducated, etc., if you get my drift... I'm sure at some point he'll sell it and make a big profit. Plus, don't the Wright Brothers of Ohio get the real credit for flying machines??

[sudosurfer]

01:37 PM on 06/15/2011

Oh, I didn't realize the ? was "What he would save if his home were burning down..." What about his children who might not realize it because they are listening to their Zunes?

[sudosurfer]

01:22 PM on 06/15/2011

Hmmmm, have never heard of a Zune music player. Your children are definitely deprived. LOL. Is that what Bono has?

[americaisracist]

11:49 PM on 06/14/2011

who cares

[MyTake]

11:27 PM on 06/14/2011

Well, since David Rockefeller's vast wealth is "off books" at Forbes, we have to get force fed the Gates profile weekly.

Damn, Gates/Buffet/Rockefeller got together to talk philanthropy and TAX AVOIDANCE before Gates started his Foundation.

Americans don't know of this Foundation Federal Tax Avoidance scam.

There is a 60's Senate record where Nelson Rockefeller submitted a Federal tax return. Yes, one of the richest people in America paid a GRAND TOTAL of $650.oo in Federal Income Tax.

And it was John D. Rockefeller and JP Morgan who sponsored and bribed THE FOUNDATION ACT into legislation in 1913 in order for both and others to shield their wealth from Federal taxation.

So the middle class pays extra taxes to fill the void for what Rockefeller/Gates are NOT PAYING.

It is the perfect scam.

Start a Foundation, then contribute 1/2 of your per annum income into it which zero's out the FEDERAL TAX OWING on the remaining 1/2 of your per annum income. The Foundation Fund is invested at 10% per annum while disbursement is at 5% per annum of the Fund Total.

The Rockefeller Foundations control Harvard. David donated Larry Summers to government too control the cover-up of the 2008 Banker crimes and then brought him back to Harvard.

Obama is also Rockefeller connected.

He was recruited at Harvard and was then sent for World Affairs indoctrination at Kissinger Associates afterwards. And Rockefeller just donated Daley, off the BoD JPMorganChase, as Obama's CoS.

[ResearchtheFacts]

06:48 PM on 06/14/2011

"Due to the worldwide media coverage given to and generated by Apple's announcement of its 'iCloud' services and the ensuing saturation advertising campaign pursued by Apple, the media and the general public have quickly come to associate the mark 'iCloud' with Apple, rather than iCloud Communications," the Internet calling firm said in its complaint.

"At the time Apple elected to adopt 'iCloud' for its cloud computing telecommunications and data services, Apple was aware of or was willfully blind to iCloud Communications' use of and rights in the iCloud Marks."

[hypnotoad72]

05:42 PM on 06/14/2011

Some more about his actions and the company he helped found and run for decades:

The origins of their fame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWjOodAtoE
(Dramatized, but based on factual evidence)

They dislike piracy,
http://gadgetopia.com/post/6679

unless it benefits them, of course:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/07/23/100134488/

They make sure they get all the sales, even when they can't get the sales ethically,
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/desktop-os/2004/07/13/the-legacy-of-microsofts-1994-consent-decree-39160392/
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-233992.html

They dislike government:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft

But they'll engage the ultimate “marketing tactic” to Congress anyway:
http://mydd.com/story/2007/2/7/184312/5388
http://hubpages.com/hub/HowH1BVisaFRAUDiskillingAmerica

Not to mention, they love taking taxpayer money despite years' worth of profit margins showing their bootstraps are quite pulled up:
http://www.ctj.org/html/corp0402.htm

But then make threats to government officials when they don't get their way:
http://www.businessinsider.com/ballmer-threatens-obama-says-hell-move-jobs-overseas-2009-6

May I repeat:
http://www.ctj.org/html/corp0402.htm

Plenty more where that one came from - they're freeloaders and anti-"free market" with their own antics, if they have to meddle to have their own way.

And do note, their history is replete with incidents - my post barely scratches the surface of the tip of the iceberg.

[MyTake]

10:54 PM on 06/14/2011

Good analysis.

[OSIconic]

04:38 AM on 06/15/2011

Nice one - this is why the comments are usually better than the posts..

[RedandGreen]

05:33 PM on 06/14/2011

Now that we were fed useless trivia about Mr. Gates, how about telling us significant things, like what is his political affiliation; who does he support for president, and what does he say about our country terrorizing other countries around the world because we want their natural resources and demand that we adapt free market capitalism and nothing else?

[Tunghoy]

06:06 PM on 06/14/2011

I was one of the early beta testers of MSN, when it was being prepared for release with Windows 95. As my primary area was in a political forum, I was told by a couple of product managers that Gates was a Democrat. I'm pretty sure he was supporting Bill Clinton for re-election.

[MIKEinNYC]

04:11 PM on 06/14/2011

Who would you rather live next door to, Gates or Jobs?

[AStranger]

04:29 PM on 06/14/2011

I'd be happy to be able to afford to live beside either.

[OSIconic]

05:18 AM on 06/15/2011

Steve Wozniak. Why?

Because I would prefer to live next to a tech genius than a saleman.

One would actually help you solve a problem with a thing. The other two would just stick their branding all over the thing and tell you that the problem is actually a feature and charge you extra.

[ontariogirl]

02:38 PM on 06/14/2011

Fact number 6. He is making an anonymous donation to my fund for a better life. :)

[leorangerie]

01:16 PM on 06/14/2011

He won't buy his kids Ipods. I'm guessing, however, that they've bought them on their own, only because Zunes, if they are even still around, are just lousy.

[Verta Wood]

10:28 AM on 06/14/2011

Brought tears to my eyes and I choked up. I feel so honored to know he is in my country. God bless him and God bless the U.S.A.

[hypnotoad72]

05:43 PM on 06/14/2011

See my post above.  Your feelings are unfortunately misplaced.

[JudeOnPolitics]

09:47 AM on 06/14/2011

It's really great Bill Gates can help so many people.

Americans were the most generous people on earth. Then, jobs were exported out of the country, and our prices keep going up, so those who did mange previously to donate to worthy causes, like World Vision, find themselves unable to donate any longer.

It is a known fact, doing good deeds gives one a lift in spirit and attitude. So, Bill Gates' lift and attitude are enormous, while the rest of us get utterly depressed when phone calls come in to donate and we have to say no.

Why not all the Board Members and Excecutives (getting exhorbitant double digit million payouts) of Microsoft and all Gates' businesses take pay cuts, then restart some operations in America to create jobs?

[Scott Kenan]

09:04 AM on 06/14/2011

Now would you rather buy a product shepherded by this guy -- or by Steve Jobs??? I DO love Steve Wozniak, as he had the good sense to marry (although it didn't last) my next door neighbor in Mismaloya, Mexico -- once my business partner and I complete the transaction: Kathy Griffin. I declare that Bill Gates, like my new business partner, Daddy Warbucks, AT LEAST an honorary KENAN!!! See: http://scottkenan.blogspot.com .