Here is the story of how one woman ‘struck gold’ after receiving a secret Santa gift from none other than billionaire Bill Gates.
Let’s face it, taking part in secret Santa is an absolute nightmare for most of us.
Coming up with Christmas gift ideas for your closest friends and family is bad enough without having to factor in a random gift for a co-worker you don’t know too well.
And yet, the people of Reddit spent over a decade willingly volunteering to take part in an international gift exchange with complete and utter strangers – and it turns out, some lucky souls were able to hit the jackpot big time.
Ever wonder what a billionaire would give you for Christmas (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Established in 2009 and active until 2022, the r/secretsanta subreddit saw users from around the world sign themselves up to swap gifts, with the global present swap even attracting celebrities such as the Microsoft founder, Jimmy Fallon, and Snoop Dogg.
So, what is it like to receive a gift from a billionaire? Thankfully, one very lucky woman was more than happy to share her experience.
Back in 2019, user Shelby took part in her 95th gift exchange and received a bulky 81lbs (36kg) parcel from the tech mogul which was too big too even fit in her car.
So, what sort of gifts does a man worth anywhere between $100 billion (£78 billion) and $150 billion (£118 billion) gift somebody?
Well, thankfully Shelby was kind enough to share her haul in a two-part video series on YouTube.
Check out some of the gifts she received below:
The impressive gifts from Bill Gates to Shelby included:
- Bill’s Deck of Books 2019!
- A Harry Potter santa hat
- Hylian shield earrings
- A very heavy and beautiful handmade Zelda quilt
- A hammock (with bug net!)
- Almond Rocca, Seattle mint chocolates, Jelly Belly’s
- Toys for my cat, Emmy!
- Seven packs of assorted Oreos
- A cat-themed logic game
- Eight hardcover books
- An extremely fancy manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby
- A candle with a passage from The Great Gatsby inscribed
- Two exceptional adult-level LEGO sets: Microscale Hogwarts and the retired UCS R2D2
- A plethora of Twin Peaks gifts including a shirt and sweatshirt; a book by director Jonathan Sanger and some memorabilia from his collection including 5 scripts from season 2 of Twin Peaks, and an embroidered L.L. Bean jacket worn by crew members during the second season of the show.
Shelby shared some of the mega haul online (Twitter/Reddit)
Perhaps the most touching gift Gates sent was a donation to the American Heart Association in memory of Shelby’s mother, who passed away in March 2019.
“I’ve included some fun things to enjoy both at home and outdoors – plus a couple of great books I think you’ll like,” Gates wrote in the accompanying letter.
“At the same time, I know no gift will ever make up for losing someone so important to you. I was very sorry to hear about your mom, and I’ve made a donation to the American Heart Association in her memory. I hope you and your family find your ‘new normal’ this holiday season.”
Featured Image Credit: (Twitter/Reddit / James Devaney/GC Images)
Topics: Bill Gates, Christmas, Reddit, Community.
A woman has hit the jackpot after working out that her Secret Santa at work is none other than Bill Gates.
The Microsoft billionaire didn’t hold back on the gift giving either, and to be honest we’re more than a little bit jealous.
Watch her open some of her gifts here:
Discussing her Secret Santa, 35-year-old Shelby was participating in RedditGifts exchanges for her 95th time when she discovered all of her Christmases came at once for Christmas 2019.
Microsoft founder Gates participates in the exchange each year, and Shelby had actually joked about the possibility of her secret Santa being the billionaire.
Taking to Reddit, she wrote: “I’m full-force in my getting-ready-for-bed routine. I check my phone one last time and I spy an email alert informing me that my RedditGifts Secret Santa package has shipped!
“I log in and am a bit taken aback that the package is being FedEx overnighted – sounds expensive. I also noticed that it was being shipped from Washington state, and as a seasoned RedditGifter, I remark to my husband, ‘Huh, wouldn’t it be something if my Santa was Bill Gates?'”
The following day, when Shelby went to pick her mystery package she recalled how the clerk shouted: “OH MY GOD! You’re the BILL GATES package!!!!!! We’ve been waiting for you all day. Is this really from Bill Gates, or is it a hoax? Grab a cart because you’re going to need it.”
Sure enough, her mystery gifter was the 66-year-old technology billionaire, who had bestowed her with a whopping 81lbs of presents. So much that the huge box wouldn’t even fit in her car.
Perhaps the most thoughtful gift of all was the donation he made to the American Heart Association, done in honour of Shelby’s mother who had passed away in March 2019.
In amongst the mass of presents was a card from Gates which read: “Wow, I’m impressed that this is your 95th Reddit gift exchange! You seem like a very generous person, and I hope my gift makes you smile this Christmas.
“I’ve included some fun things to enjoy both at home and outdoors – plus a couple of great books I think you’ll like.
“At the same time, I know no gift will ever make up for losing someone so important to you. I was very sorry to hear about your mom, and I’ve made a donation to the American Heart Association in her memory. I hope you and your family find your ‘new normal’ this holiday season.”
Alamy
Thanking Gates, Shelby wrote: “Bill Gates, you are a blessing. This year has been a complete rollercoaster of emotions for me; in March, I lost my mother completely unexpectedly only 10 days before my destination wedding.
“It has been hard to drum up holiday spirit this year, and this has been a zap taser of Christmas cheer. I have felt like I’ve been on another planet the past few days and I still cannot believe how lucky/cool/honored/all the adjectives I am to have had someone craft such a special and personal set of gifts just for little ol’ me.
“And your donation to The American Heart Association in my mom’s memory is the most special gift of all. It means more to me than I can express.”
The impressive gifts from Bill Gates to Shelby included:
- Bill’s Deck of Books 2019!
- A Harry Potter santa hat
- Hylian shield earrings
- A very heavy and beautiful handmade Zelda quilt
- A hammock (with bug net!)
- Almond Rocca, Seattle mint chocolates, Jelly Belly’s
- Toys for my cat, Emmy!
- Seven packs of assorted Oreos
- A cat-themed logic game
- Eight hardcover books
- An extremely fancy manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby
- A candle with a passage from The Great Gatsby inscribed
- Two exceptional adult-level LEGO sets: Microscale Hogwarts and the retired UCS R2D2 (truth be told, I had previously splurged on both of these sets already; you must have gotten a perfect read on my interests so color me impressed!)
- A plethora of Twin Peaks gifts including a shirt and sweatshirt; a book by director Jonathan Sanger and some memorabilia from his collection including 5 scripts from season 2 of Twin Peaks, and an embroidered L.L. Bean jacket worn by crew members during the second season of the show.
Not too shabby for a gift exchange, we’d say!
Featured Image Credit: AC NewsPhoto/Alamy Twitter/Reddit
Topics: Bill Gates, Money, Reddit
Bill Gates – one of the most revolutionary computer developers of all time – was once mocked for thinking that the internet was next big thing.
I mean, to doubt the co-founder of Microsoft, now the second biggest companyin the world behind Apple, takes some doing.
Though mind you, back in 1995, things were obviously a lot different, not just because it was the year I was born.
Bill Gates on The Late Show with David Letterman back in 1995 (CBS)
Rather, Gates’ opinion on the internet wasn’t taken so seriously by audience members attending The Late Show with David Letterman, as they found the whole thing pretty hilarious.
Ironically, the short clip has been shared again and again on the internet, and for most of us, it came to our attention when Elon Musk retweeted it on X in 2022.
During the interview, Gates is asked: “What about this internet thing? Do you know anything about that?” To which he replies: “Sure.”
The audience then started to chuckle as Letterman added: “What the hell is it exactly?”
Gates explained: “Well, it’s become a place where people are publishing information so everybody can have their own homepage, companies are there, the latest information…it’s wild what’s going on. You can send electronic mail to people.”
If only he knew what else the internet would go on to do…
Gates was mocked for his views on the internet (CBS)
“It is the big new thing,” the tech expert claimed.
However, Letterman didn’t seem to be convinced.
He replied: “Yeah, but you know it’s easy to criticise something you don’t fully understand, which is my position here.
“But I can remember a couple of months ago, there was, like, a big breakthrough announcement that on the Internet, or on some computer deal, they were going to broadcast a baseball game.”
He continued: “You could listen to a baseball game on your computer and I just thought to myself, ‘Does radio ring a bell?'”
At this point, the mid-90s audience broke out into laughter as Gates attempted to explain the difference between the two, adding: “It’s not a huge difference, but you can listen to the baseball game whenever you want, too.”
Letterman then asked if it’s ‘stored in one of your memory deals’, which Gates confirmed was the case.
Well, we know who got the last laugh.
The internet was actually first used in the 1960s as ARPANET, a US military project to connect computers.
By the 1980s, universities adopted it for research, and in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web, which we now use today.
The internet quickly became accessible to the public, a move which changed our world forever.
Featured Image Credit: CBS
Topics: Bill Gates, Social Media, TV and Film, Viral
Flight tickets from the UK to Bill Gates’ recommended European hotspot for the summer holidays can be nabbed for as little as £30.
The Microsoft founder has previously revealed his favourite Europeandestination, and you could get there for an absolute steal.
We know it’s only February, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too early to start dreaming of your summer holidays.
Being on warm beaches, sipping on a cold cocktail, falling asleep in the sun… it’s only a few months away, so don’t worry! But when you are thinking about these destinations, it’s worth considering this one hotspot in particular.
One European country is often overlooked by holiday-goers, with the majority of Brits opting to visit more popular places like Spain, France or Portugal.
Sometimes though, the best holiday destinations are hidden from the wider public and require some extra digging.
Well, this one place has been recommended by the one and only Bill Gates,officially giving it the billionaire seal of approval.
So, where is this promised land I hear you asking?
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME
The country in question is Croatia.
Bill Gates has specifically highlighted the Dalmatian coast town of Skradin as ‘his ideal place for summer holidays’ to Forbes.
A representative of the Skradin tourist board said: “Gates enjoyed strolling the streets and visiting local restaurants.”
It boasts the Waterfalls of the River Krka and the entrance to the Krka National Park, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Croatia as a whole is an incredibly attractive holiday destination that can be overlooked, but we’re not quite sure why.
Flights to the city of Dubrovnik in April will cost just £29 from London or Manchester, and the city offers a wealth of activities.
The ancient walls of Dubrovnik are a great tourist attraction to behold if you like exploring.
If you’re more about that quiet life, Lokrum Island is easily accessible from the Old Town port, offering natural swimming pools, vibrant wildlife and an escape from all the noise.
Getty Stock Photos
You may want to fly to the capital of Zagreb, with flights from just £18, where you can explore the bustling streets boasting beautiful 18th century architecture.
A short trip from Zagreb could take you to the UNESCO World Heritage Plitvice Lake National Park, known for its 16 – yes SIXTEEN – lakes and breathtaking waterfalls.
The other hot destination in Croatia is Split, which also features a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Palace of Diocletian.
All three of these destinations have a lot to offer, and provides a less-crowded alternative to what you may have been planning for the summer.
So, why not consider Croatia this year?
Featured Image Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME and Getty Stock Photos
Topics: Travel, Bill Gates, News
Five years on since Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, a new docuseries with the billionaire has landed.
Netflix’snew drop sees the Microsoft co-founder looking into future-shaping technologies and delving into ‘pressing global issues’.
And while one episode of the documentarysees Gates talking to James Cameron about a major concern he has for the future of humanity, another sees him addressing the conspiracy he’s actually dead.
What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates features discussions around global warming, the income gap and in this instance, the impact of conspiracy theories.
To kick off the second episode, the US business magnate is presented with various theories such as: “Bill Gates and the liberal world order are orchestrating a scheme to force people to eat bugs.”
I mean, that one does sound a bit ridiculous. The conspiracy is that the agenda is to ‘weaken the lower classes with protein-poor insect diets’.
And Gates, quite comically, says in response: “Uh, I’d feel bad if I was doing that.”
And another theory even claims he’s a ‘shapeshifting lizard’ who is ‘part of the reptilian race that includes Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga’.
Bill Gates covers a range of topics in the new docuseries (Netflix)
Again, ever the comic, Gates says: “Someone mentioned this one to me, I didn’t know we had Tom Hanks in on it though.
“I mean, that’s great.”
As well as claims he consumes ‘babies’ blood’ and is supplying McDonald’s with potatoes, there’s the biggie that he’s actually dead.
“After a fatal car crash, Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda have been replaced by clones,” the tech pro reads out. “A team of scientists created replacements to keep his control over the world never-ending.”
Gates says he hasn’t heard this theory before but he thinks Melinda ‘is still a real person’. And as for him: “I do my best.”
Some people apparently think this is a clone (Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for The New York Times)
Well, there you go conspiracy theorists, neither a confirmation or a denial that the true Bill Gates really is still alive.
This new five-part Netflix docuseries actually features a cameo from Lady Gaga be that the real singer or a ‘shapeshifting lizard’ as well as the likes of Bernie Sanders and Bono.
And ahead of the release of What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, Gates told Tudum: “I have always loved learning. Whether at school, Microsoft, or now, as a philanthropist, I consider myself a student.”
You can watch the new docuseries on Netflix now.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Bill Gates, Netflix, Documentaries, Conspiracy Theory
