More on My Dinner with #1 on the Forbes

This is my story of eating dinner with Bill Gates.  But after you've read, don't stop here.  Go to www.jeffmaurone.com to read the story of what I'm doing now.

So, in response to the multitude of email messages I got asking for more juicy details on what it's like to eat dinner with Bill Gates, I figured I should write the comprehensive posting about said topic.  So, without further deliberation, I've broken down my account into a few sections: The Experience, The House, The Man, and The Coolest Part.  Here goes...

The Experience

Obviously it goes without saying that it's a pretty big deal to be eating with Bill Gates at his house.  So much so that most full-time employees don't get this opportunity until you reach a level that is at least pushing general management.  Most people talk about the fact that we, as interns, need to live it up now because such oportunities fade as quickly as the "t-" fades from your alias ("t-" is the intern portion of your email address, so interns have an email address that is something like t-jsmith@microsoft.com; full-timers have no dashes).  Along with everything that is as hallowed comes security.

We all met at various locations on the Redmond campus and boarded coach buses after being identified against our badges.  The buses then proceeded through Seattle's eastside to an undisclosed location in close proximity to Bill's home.  We then left the buses and were subject to airport-level security.  This included shoe-removal, metal detectors, random screenings, etc.  After being subject to this, we all transferred to smaller shuttles and proceeded into the unknown.

Security at the home was no doubt as high, yet remained pleasantly non-intrusive.  Inconspicuously placed at walkways was a casually dressed security team member wearing the secret service model of earpiece and silently saying, "nope, this way is off limits."  Also scattered among the non-guest crowd was the Gates family staff: excessively smiling, polo shirt wearing, people with small gold badges that read, "Estate Staff".  But now that I've described the periphery experience, onto the cool stuff...

The House

There is only one way that I can describe the home: utter perfection.  As someone that is considerably interested in architecture, interior design, landscape, etc, I can't name any one piece of the home that stood out as incredible, because all facets were equally perfect.  We entered the home via what seemed to be the entertainment entrance and, at that, it was quite understated.  The entrance organically rose from the hill in distinct pacific northwest style and was elegantly adorned by perfectly oriented halogen lighting that just screamed, "experience like no other."  Interestingly enough however, this entrance was at the top of the hill into which the home is built and so it truly was just a small portal rising from the ground.

Once into the home you are greeted by a magnificient grand staircase that, in stark comparison to nearly all notable estates, descended for quite a distance.  Initially you find an elevator driven only by a single hydraulic column and completely cableless.  Are you beginning to feel like you are in Myst (the video game), because I was.

Further and further you descend, past what seems to be an annex library, as it was certainly not the primary librarian that houses the Leicester Codex (Bill's original DaVinci notebook, for which he paid approx $30.8 million).  Elegantly non-intrusive but screaming geekhood were sparsely placed digital canvases that, ever so often, changed the artwork on the wall.  We passed the movie theatre, rumored to be the most advanced movie theatre in the world.  Finally, we reached the bottom level of the entertaining portion of the home.  To the left was a room with a design so powerful that it could only exist in the home of the richest man in the world.

I left the home only to be greeted by a backyard adorned by cocktail tables and a catering staff dressed to match the adornment of the tables as well as a man-made sandy beach descending into Lake Washington.  On a final note, I'll say that the grass was groomed.  It was groomed in a way that requires handheld scissors to prune daily.  Now, I should also mention that the home is really an organic growth; one cannot see where one building ends and another begins and that there are distinct divisions between sections of the home.  We never saw the room where Bill comes home and leisurely hangs his hat.

The Man

About twenty minutes into the event Bill casually descended the stairs from the personal side of the home: no fanfare, no introduction, just the Chief Software Architect.  Instantly there started a massive migration from around the lawn to within four feet of Bill.  In ten minutes there was a donut or toroid of geekdom surrounding Bill that was three or four people deep, but after a few minutes I had worked my way to the front and got to spend about two hours standing with him, talking to him, and mostly listening to his responses to other people's questions.

If Bill is one thing, he's deeply passionate about what he believes to be the nearly endless power of software.  I personally asked him about his opinion of Nicholas Carr's prediction surrounding the commoditization of information technology.  His response (verbatim, might I add), "well it was the dumbest thing I've ever read!"  Now, one could argue, being that he owns 24% of MSFT stock, that Bill can't possibly answer that question in any other way.  This is, of course, true.

Many questions surrounded globalization and the Microsoft strategy to enter the world's emerging markets.  Others surrounded how long he works each week (55-60 hours at Microsoft, 10-15 hours at the foundation).  Many asked about how he intends to change the world with the foundation.  Now as passionate as were Bill's answers to some questions, strange was his answers to others.  "Bill, what are your hobbies?"  "Medicine and bio-tech."  Ok.  We all have intellectually stimulating pastimes but am I wrong in saying that most of us don't come home from work and fiddle around with medicine and bio-tech.  Maybe I'm the one in the dark.

So that's my story.  I took a lot of the experience for granted because I knew it was coming but other times I have to step back and realize how fortune I was to have an opportunity to do something that, on a global scale, only the slimmest group of people do.

I hope you enjoyed what is probably my longest post.

As mentioned, there is much more interesting content about what I'm doing now at www.jeffmaurone.com.

Comments

[Travis McMenimon]

Simply Awesome. That is all I have to say to you over the comments section of your blog. I want to pick your brain about it when you get back to Philly.

[Robert Scoble]

That is an incredible blog post. It held me until the very end and made me want more!

It felt like I was there with you. Excellent. This is blogging at its best!

[Adam Kinney]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your story.

[Steve]

That should really make other people realize that Bill is not only a rich man, but just a man like you and I.

[Chandra Chivukula]

Awesome post. Great post Jeff and btw the blog didnt feel long, short if at all.

[Adam Field]

Great post - very well written.

Im working out of Redmond for a fortnight next week - what do you reckon the odds are of getting dinner with BillG? ;)

[Steve Rubel]

I applaud your transparency!

[arjanwrites.com]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Ricky Chandarana]

Brilliant. Love the way you have described your experience - about what is undoubtedly anyone's dream come true.

[Larry Osterman]

Ya know, I was just going to write about Bill's interactions with his kids on my 'blog from several years ago. Good to know that it hasn't changed.

Btw, the part of Bill's house you saw wasn't really where he lives. He lives in a 4,000 sq foot home in a non-public part of the complex, the part the public gets to see is more of a convention center than a home.

[chris holland]

very cool account :) congratulations!

[Todd Sattersten]

This is what is great about blogging.

In the past you would have only read a story like this in Fortune or sixth-hand through someone else. In neither case would the story be as interesting or as personal.

Thank you for sharing it with all of us!

[David Bisset]

Great story. Only if there were pictures. :-)

[Mike Czepiel]

Wow. Your exploits over in Redmond will never cease to amaze me. Interning with Microsoft is one thing, but the perks and potential to network that go along with it seem like a great opportunity. Glad to see you're taking full advantage of it all. Thanks for sharing the experience.

[Dan]

Years ago, as an ms intern, I also got the Dinner With Bill. Also the toroid of geekdom.

Unfortunately, the new house was being built, so we ate outside in a tent. While that made security a lot lower, it was also a lot less impressive a space.

Never did fight my way through the toroid, though.

[Wes]

Excellent story! I'm also currently an intern and I think I went to the same exact dinner at Bill's place (because I remember his daughter too). You depicted the dinner way better than I could have ever done, but I can say that you depicted it pretty accurately as well.

As for the pictures, one part that Jeff left out is at the security checkpoint they took any cameras or cell phones for safe keepings so we were not able to take any photos. Another point to mention here is that while you were not hanging around listening to Bill or eating you could also talk to one of the many VP’s from Microsoft that had also attended. This was an all around awesome once in a life time event to have a chance to attend. I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend this event.

[Dan]

As an employee of Microsoft since 1997 I have only had the good fortune of meeting "The Man" once or twice. Cherish your experince. And I hope you are enjoying your internship. Hopefully your time here will contribute to a successfull career when you get out of school.

-d

[Sam]

You have benn slahdotted.

[flxstr]

So what was for dinner?

[Lawrence]

Very well written piece, but you did get one detail wrong. Bill only owns 10.7% of the outstanding shares, with a value of $31,680,755,712, and of course he has other assets to put him at no. 1.

[justin]

whether you like Gates or not, it's still one hell of an experience to meet in person such a highly influential and epoch making figure.

its kinda like meeting Henry Ford or John Paul Getty.

something you'll tell to your grandchildren.

Thanks for posting this.

[David]

My aunt and uncle told a story (this happened many, many years ago) of seeing Bill and his wife at a Dennys. My mom was amazed that he could eat anywhere he wanted and he'd go to Dennys. Maybe he just likes Dennys, I said. So he's a billionare and one of the richest people on the planet, he's just this guy, you know?

Thanks for the post.

[Larry Osterman]

Brace yourself, it's /. time.

[/.er]

Great story really insightful

P.S. youve been /.ed

[christopher crippen]

awesome, simply awesome!