The nerdy appearance with V-neck sweater and the once thick horn-rimmed glasses may have been deceiving. Behind the facade of the seemingly mired in algorithms and charitable plans Microsoft founder Bill Gates According to the latest US media reports, a man who was in the mood for extramarital updates early on in his relationship with his wife Melinda French Gates, which broke up spectacularly two weeks ago after 27 years, was in the midst of a strange situation.
From one Affair that had cost him his seat and vote on the computer giant's board of directors. Of several cases in which the now 65-year-old allegedly stalked female employees. And of seeking marriage counseling from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide and with whom he kept in touch for years. In order:
Microsoft engineer wrote letter about affair with Bill Gates
According to the "Wall Street Journal," a female Microsoft engineer reportedly wrote to company executives in the second half of 2019 to initiate a job change. She cited as the reason an affair with Bill Gates that the latter had in the Year 2000, started about six years after his marriage to Melinda French Gates, and had maintained over several years. The identity of the woman is not yet known. Just this: she demanded that the multi-billionaire's cuckolded wife get to read the letter.
Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw confirmed to the newspaper and other U.S. media the existence of the Complaint letter. Bridgitt Arnold, a spokeswoman for Bill Gates, didn't beat around the bush either. "There was an affair about 20 years ago that ended amicably."
Microsoft drew consequences from #MeToo movement
What she denies, however, is the connection to Gates` resignation from Microsoft`s board of directors in March 2020. There one had shortly before the complaint of the Gates love in the light of the #MeToo movement the handling of such cases in new company principles formulated. That is why the company's top management Law firm In progress to investigate things. What came out? So far not publicly known.
But apparently it must have been enough to decide that Bill Gates had acted "inappropriately" and was therefore no longer "fit" to be a board member. Which led to the strange situation that Gates sought the distance only three months after he had been re-elected. Official reason at the time: he wanted to concentrate entirely on his philanthropic activities around the world.
Bill and Melinda Gates are in hiding for the public
Whether the process played a role in Melinda French Gates (56) has already played in 2019 by initial lawyer talks initiated separation, is not known. Gates and his ex-wife-to-be are geographically separated (he in California, she in the Caribbean) and in hiding from the public.
The same question marks remain with facets reported by the "New York Times" citing and anonymous sources. After that, Bill Gates is said to have been so taken with a Microsoft employee's company presentation in 2006 that he invited her to dinner via email immediately afterwards. In his message, the von wrote female employee sometimes described as awkward in the interpersonal realm, "If you're uncomfortable, pretend it didn't happen." The woman approached behaved accordingly and turned down meeting her boss.
New York Times reports Gates' pickup attempts
In 2008, Gates is said to have changed his mind on a business trip to New York as part of the "Bill Melinda Gates Foundation" run by him and his wife. Accordingly, at a cocktail party he says to a Employee: "I want to see you. Do you want to have dinner with me?". The "New York Times" wants to know about a total of six pick-up attempts, which would have clouded the working atmosphere in the house of Microsoft/Foundation.
That Bill Gates, as reported by The Daily Beast magazine, is said to have called his marriage "toxic" to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whereupon the multi-millionaire told him to Divorce guessed, was sharply rejected by Gates` spokeswoman Arnold. He had not made "derogatory" comments about his marriage to Melinda Gates, and the rumors and speculation surrounding the couple's divorce, expected in court by April 2022, were "increasingly absurd". That people with "little to no knowledge of the situation" were characterized as sources was "unfortunate," the spokeswoman for Bill Gates explained.