Bill Gates Makes a Surprise in Reddit's Secret Santa

[roseofbattle]

Bill Gates Makes a Surprise in Reddit's Secret Santa

Microsoft founder Bill Gates dons his Santa cap.

Until signing his full name and including a photo of himself, the founder of Microsoft was known only as "Bill" to a lucky participant in Reddit's Secret Santa event. Reddit matched participants online around the world for the now record-breaking largest Secret Santa event.

The Reddit user who was matched to Gates is known as NY1227 and detailed her experience in the Secret Santa gift exchange. She notes Gates overnighted her present to her - a package that contained a stuffed cow, a book about traveling, a personal inscription, and a charitable donation on her behalf to Heifer International, an organization that gives needy families animals, seeds, clean water, and safe stoves, or a chance for girls to receive an education. The Reddit user noted she was "so happy that he was able to donate to a charity on my behalf that helped people with both needs and educational benefits. Nailed it, Bill!"

NY1227 still believed this "Bill" was just a "friendly fellow" until she saw the picture of Gates holding up a the stuffed cow and a sign wishing happy holidays.

"And then it finally hit me," she wrote. "All the presents I just tore open, the charity, then everything...my jaw hit the EVER LOVING FLOOR."

Secret Santa events are exciting because participants get to take time to learn about a person they may never have met before. Picking a gift for someone and seeing that person love the surprise gift is a real treat. Kudos to Gates for getting into holiday spirit.

"PS: Sorry for the Apple iPad on my wishlist," NY1227 wrote. "That was really awkward."

Source: The Guardian [http://redditgifts.com/gallery/gift/spoiler-alert-bill-gates-did-not-get-you/]


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[lacktheknack]

Love it. Billionaires who reach their philanthropy stage are always fun to read about, especially when they participate in smaller-scale stuff like this.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

That put me in a really good mood. It's so nice to see someone so generous, and not just with his gigantic stash of money but he puts the effort in too.

 

[Thaluikhain]

"PS: Sorry for the Apple iPad on my wishlist," NY1227 wrote. "That was really awkward."

Ok, I snickered at that. Whoops.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Bill is still such a cool guy.

*sigh* Microsoft is a shell of its former self now that he has departed :/

 

[luvd1]

Well done sir, well done. Now treat yourself to a lovely satsuma.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Can someone explain to me, a poor person, what the benefit is of getting a gift of a donation to someone else.

CAPTCHA: collaborate and listen

Now I want to listen to Vanilla Ice.

 

[Tiamat666]

Actually, Bill should have been a good sport and got her that Apple iPad that she wanted.

 

[Zipa]

Good Guy Bill Gates, one of the most generous guys on the planet. Plus it is pretty apparent where the good decisions came from within Microsoft.

 

[Jimalcoatl]

Love or hate Microsoft, Bill Gates is still the fucking man.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

*sigh* Microsoft is a shell of its former self now that he has departed :/

You know, it's funny that you say that because back then, he was the superdevil of the computer software world.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

*sigh* Microsoft is a shell of its former self now that he has departed :/

You know, it's funny that you say that because back then, he was the superdevil of the computer software world.

Interesting, how so?

Aside from Windows Vista :L

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Interesting, how so?

Aside from Windows Vista :L

What, you don't know about the whole free software versus paid-for software debacle that marked that age? Also, some accuse Gates of stealing software from a lot of other different software makers.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Can someone explain to me, a poor person, what the benefit is of getting a gift of a donation to someone else.

CAPTCHA: collaborate and listen

Now I want to listen to Vanilla Ice.

Stop being so selfish.

So you can't explain it either.

Bill Gates simply made a donation through another person. How is that a gift to the other person? Is there some tax benefit?

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Interesting, how so?

Aside from Windows Vista :L

What, you don't know about the whole free software versus paid-for software debacle that marked that age? Also, some accuse Gates of stealing software from a lot of other different software makers.

*Born in '96, didn't start using the 'net till 2005*

No sadly not, if he is to blame for the whole Windows "oh you dont actually own it, you own a license for it" nonsense then I suppose yes, that is a bit douchey, but it's something I've learnt to live with.

Also, most software includes stealing at some point, so eh.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

No sadly not, if he is to blame for the whole Windows "oh you dont actually own it, you own a license for it" nonsense then I suppose yes, that is a bit douchey, but it's something I've learnt to live with.

Also, most software includes stealing at some point, so eh.

Well, the other side of that debate is that the software makers should be paid for their really hard work, so hence the licenses.

I don't know about stealing though. Nowadays it's almost impossible to create something that someone else hasn't at least started on but perhaps back then, it was much easier to create something unique.

 

[JoJo]

Can someone explain to me, a poor person, what the benefit is of getting a gift of a donation to someone else.

The benefit is knowing that a cause you support is being funded a little more and that the world is hopefully a slightly better place because of that. Benefits don't always come in a tangible form you can touch and hold.

 

[Ferisar]

Can someone explain to me, a poor person, what the benefit is of getting a gift of a donation to someone else.

CAPTCHA: collaborate and listen

Now I want to listen to Vanilla Ice.

Because that's what they want, to give proceeds to someone in need, so someone with a much more ample supply of money acknowledges that and helps the cause? What's hard to get here?

It's kind of right there. Right there in the obvious.

THE OBVIOUS, A NEBULOUS ZONE OF PRISMATIC INTROSPECTION AND INSTANT HUMAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

RIDE!

I uh...

What?

OT:
Good on you Bill.

 

[Kross]

Interesting, how so?

Aside from Windows Vista :L

What, you don't know about the whole free software versus paid-for software debacle that marked that age? Also, some accuse Gates of stealing software from a lot of other different software makers.

Holy crap I'm finally in the future