Das details that Gates would frequently flirt with women and make unwanted advances, such as asking a Microsoft employee out to dinner while he was still the company’s chairman.
Bill Gates’ behavior towards female interns at the Gates Foundation was inappropriate and made them uncomfortable, according to author Das. (File Photo)
In an upcoming tell-all book, New York Times journalist Anupreeta Das revealed that Bill Gates exhibited behavior towards young interns at Microsoft that led to the company banning him from being alone with them.
The book, ‘Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World’, describes Gates as a “kid in a candy store” when it came to interacting with female interns, according to excerpts reported by Daily Mail.
Das details that Gates would frequently flirt with women and make unwanted advances, such as asking a Microsoft employee out to dinner while he was still the company’s chairman.
Bill Gates’ behavior towards female interns at the Gates Foundation was inappropriate and made them uncomfortable, according to author Das.
Gates’ flirtatious advances put interns in a difficult position, where they had to consider their career prospects while fending off unwanted attention from their boss.
As Das wrote, “She’s too young and too pretty” was the warning from a colleague who objected to sending a 22-year-old intern to meet Gates alone.
While Gates’ behavior was seen as awkward and unprofessional, witnesses described it as “clumsy rather than predatory”.
This behavior reportedly began shortly after Gates married Melinda Gates in 1994. The book claims Gates maintained an annual visit to his former flame, Ann Winblad, which led to tensions in the marriage.
Melinda Gates reportedly overhauled her husband’s security team out of concern and they were enabling his questionable behavior, and instructed housekeepers to withhold his phone number from women callers.
Gates’ behavior was said to be seen as “clumsy rather than predatory” by those who witnessed it.
A former Microsoft executive described Gates’ actions as misinterpreted enthusiasm rather than predatory behavior, noting he did not demand sexual favors in exchange for career advancement.
“He’s not Harvey Weinstein I know of no real situation in which anyone got anything for sleeping with Bill,” the former executive told Das, reported by the New York Post.
However, the final straw for Melinda Gates was Gates’ association with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted pedophile, which contributed to their divorce in 2021.
In response, Gates’ spokesperson criticized the book, claiming it relies on hearsay and falsehoods, and that Gates has expressed regret over his meetings with Epstein, which he said were for philanthropic discussions only.
