--- title: "Microsoft Reportedly Had to Ban Bill Gates From Being Alone With Interns" description: "In an upcoming book about Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, a reporter is set to air some of the billionaire philanthropist's dirty laundry." date: "2024-08-03" modified: "2024-08-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/bill-gates-microsoft-intern-ban" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "Bill Gates" - "microsoft" - "the digest" - "workplace harassment" --- # Microsoft Reportedly Had to Ban Bill Gates From Being Alone With Interns ![In an upcoming book about Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, a reporter is set to air some of the billionaire philanthropist's dirty laundry.]() *\Image: Kevin Voigt via Getty / Futurism\* ## Bill Coming Due In an upcoming book about Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, a reporter is set to air some of the billionaire philanthropist's dirty laundry — including more of his alleged issues with young women in the workplace. As the [*Daily Mail* details]() per its read of the book penned by *New York Times* reporter Anupreeta Das, Gates was apparently "like a kid in a candy store" around young women at Microsoft. It became such an issue that the company reportedly instated a ban on interns being left alone with him. That salacious aside from the forthcoming book titled "Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World" is overshadowed by the Microsoft cofounder's controversial [friendship with now-dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein](), which greatly tarnished his image and ultimately led to his wife, Melinda French Gates, [leaving him](). Much of the book is said to be about the dissolution of that marriage, which along with the Epstein revelations also focuses on the philanthropist's history of philandering, dovetailing with the claims of misogyny in his workplace cultures and [his own alleged sex scandal]() that make this new information seem all the more plausible. ## Step Down As the [*Wall Street Journal* reported in 2021](), Gates stepped down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway the year prior amid claims that he'd had an "inappropriate" relationship with a female Microsoft employee nearly two decades prior, which the billionaire characterized as an "affair" that "ended amicably." And in an [*NYT* exposé Das co-wrote]() that same year, former employees alleged that the billionaire's longtime financial advisor had sexually harassed them. According to those employees, Gates was made aware of the allegations and failed to "take decisive action." Last summer, the [*WSJ* reported]() that women who were interviewed to work at Gates' private office, Gates Ventures, were [asked explicit questions]() regarding their sexual histories and porn-watching habits. Men who were interviewed for similar positions couldn't recount any such lines of questioning when asked by reporters, suggesting at the very least a deeply inappropriate double standard. Given all that context, it's amazing [Gates' reputation]() hasn't been entirely ruined — though after Das' book comes out later this month, that may change. **More on modern-day Microsoft:** [*Microsoft Is Losing a Staggering Amount of Money on AI*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()