Melinda and Bill Gates divorce after 27 years

#421
The story gets more and more bizarre. The foundation denies he was after a Nobel prize, yet in 2013 he meets with Jagland who headed the Nobel Peace Prize search committee. They say the meeting was about healthcare. Okaaaay. All of that could be true. The big question = why is someone leaking this JeffE, BG, and Nobel stuff now? Is this from MG? Who?

ETA: were any of these meetings made public in 2013? Yes, according to The Daily Beast. It seems weird that we are getting all of this info now. Clearly someone is out to destroy his reputation. Amazing how quickly that happens.

In an email to DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning, a Gates Foundation spokesperson said that Gates never actively pursued a Nobel Peace Prize.
'While a Nobel Prize would certainly be a great honor, it is false to state that Bill Gates was ‘obsessed’ with the honor, set it as a goal, or campaigned for it in any way.
'If Epstein had a plan or motivation to insert himself into any processes related to any awards or honors on behalf of Gates, neither Gates nor anyone he works with was aware of his intentions and they would have rejected any offers for assistance.'
The spokesperson added: 'Multiple high-profile people suggested that Bill Gates meet with Epstein because he made claims of being able to bring billions of dollars into philanthropy based on his status as an agent and advisor to wealthy individuals with respect to their giving strategies.
'Given the prospect of helping catalyze significant increases in charitable giving, Gates met with Epstein and others multiple times to discuss philanthropy and the work of his foundation.
'Although Epstein pursued Gates aggressively, Gates had absolutely no business partnership or personal friendship with Epstein. Gates never socialized with Epstein or attended parties with him.
'It’s become clear that Epstein misrepresented the nature of his meetings with Gates while also working to insert himself behind-the-scenes without Gates’s knowledge. Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgement to do so.'

Bill Gates 'turned a blind eye to Jeffrey Epstein's reputation because he thought he could get him a Nobel Peace Prize' - as it's revealed they both attended a 2013 meeting at the home of ex Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman
  • Gates and Epstein went to the Strasbourg home of Thorbjorn Jagland in 2013
  • Jagland said Gates asked for the meeting to learn more about the Council of Europe and its work in healthcare
  • They arrived together, Jagland said, but Epstein did not take part in the talks
  • He however introduced Gates to IPI - a think tank he has since given millions to
  • Jagland, at the time, was the chairman of Norway's Nobel Committee
  • Details of the meeting emerged as former Gates staffers claimed he thought Epstein could help him get the Nobel Peace Prize
  • Epstein had already been convicted of soliciting a child prostitute when Gates met him
  • The staffers say they knew the association could harm Bill and Melinda's reputation but they ignored it
  • Gates, through a spokesman, denies ever seeking the Nobel Peace Prize
  • He said he has never attended 'parties' with Epstein and only ever used him to fundraise for worthy philanthropic causes
www.dailymail.co.uk

Bill Gates 'though Epstein could help him get Nobel Peace Prize'

According to Norwegian newspaper DNMagasinet , Epstein and Gates arrived together at the meeting in March 2013. It took place in Strasborug, at the home of Thorbjørn Jagland and Gates asked for it.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

www.thedailybeast.com

Bill Gates Thought Jeffrey Epstein Was His Ticket to a Nobel Prize, Ex-Staffer Says

The prize “is what Bill wants more than anything else in the world,” one former Gates Foundation employee said.
www.thedailybeast.com
 
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#424
queennadine said:
Is anyone else NOT a fan of BG and MG? I think they’re both pretentious know-it-alls. I’m not impressed by either of them, and certainly don’t find him to be an expert on much of anything other than computer software perhaps.
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Not sure he was much of a computer expert - he knows how to code and run a business, but expert? Idk. It’s their foundation that gets the positive press. True, they’ve done much more than other billionaires to eradicated polio, measles, etc. This JeffE and Nobel stuff is news to me. Why o why would he get involved in that? Why does MG think she is exonerated for telling BG to drop JE? These meetings with the former Norwegian PM, now confirmed, happened in 2013. She sat on this until now? Odd. Something is afoot.
 
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#426
CarryOn2020 said:
The women speak. What did Melinda know and when did she know it?
Seems like it’s a sordid mess in Seattle.


www.dailymail.co.uk

Internal reports in Microsoft lawsuit claim women abused and degraded

A bombshell discrimination case claims Microsoft is a place where women are 'ignored, abused, or degraded,' DailyMail.com can reveal.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
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This lawsuit was from 2015, if I read the article correctly. I know a lot of people who work currently at Microsoft or who did work there at one time. It's pretty much impossible not to run into someone as they have more than 50,000 employees in the area. I have no doubt that there have been troubling instances of lousy, unprofessional and downright nasty behavior over the years. It was definitely a boys club back in the 80's and 90's since tech tends to be dominated by men. I think they've worked hard on their corporate culture and the women I know that work there, or who did work there, all had great experiences. I'm sure there are some who didn't and hopefully the Board and the company has learned from the lawsuit and put policies in place to address those issues. Of course, sometimes, no matter what the policies are or what culture you work to create, people can still choose to be jerks and skirt around the edges.
 
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#428
youngster said:
This lawsuit was from 2015, if I read the article correctly. I know a lot of people who work currently at Microsoft or who did work there at one time. It's pretty much impossible not to run into someone as they have more than 50,000 employees in the area. I have no doubt that there have been troubling instances of lousy, unprofessional and downright nasty behavior over the years. It was definitely a boys club back in the 80's and 90's since tech tends to be dominated by men. I think they've worked hard on their corporate culture and the women I know that work there, or who did work there, all had great experiences. I'm sure there are some who didn't and hopefully the Board and the company has learned from the lawsuit and put policies in place to address those issues. Of course, sometimes, no matter what the policies are or what culture you work to create, people can still choose to be jerks and skirt around the edges.
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TBH I think it's a big problem with tech companies in general. I think every big tech company has had similar lawsuits... male dominated field, easy playing ground for harassment.
 
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#431
If Melinda knew about the
Swanky said:
unfort, most fields are male dominated… getting better but really not much has changed:doh:
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I would have to agree with this. Even in the medical field which you would think was 50/50 or at least close to 50/50, the reality is its still very much a male dominated field.

Not many people speak up when harassment or inappropriate behavior happens. It is especially difficult when it comes from the highest ranking person (CEO/founder etc). Where do you turn then? And there might not have been systems in place to deal with this in the 1980s, 90s etc.

If Melinda knew about these issues and saw some of this happening then it would taint her image as a woman who is trying to lift other woman and as a feminist. I understand women can be frightened to speak up or there are other power dynamics in place that prevent a woman from speaking up but Melinda has specifically talked about equality and woman's rights. Her angle has been more education, contraceptives and career, rather than work place issues so she could argue that isn't something she advocates for.
 
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#432
queennadine said:
Is anyone else NOT a fan of BG and MG? I think they’re both pretentious know-it-alls. I’m not impressed by either of them, and certainly don’t find him to be an expert on much of anything other than computer software perhaps.
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I'm with you. I'd go a couple of steps further and call him (and Melinda and his buddies like Epstein and Fauci) a menace to our societies.
 
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#433
queennadine said:
Is anyone else NOT a fan of BG and MG? I think they’re both pretentious know-it-alls. I’m not impressed by either of them, and certainly don’t find him to be an expert on much of anything other than computer software perhaps.
Click to expand...

Hmm define "fan," I guess. I have a level of admiration for him for founding and leading MS to be an immense company. He created a lot of jobs and at a society level, contributed to our ongoing technological advancement. But I wouldn't say I was a fan and had never really been interested in him on a personal level - or Jobs, Musk, Zuckerberg, etc. I do think the foundation does some great things, as I do many foundations... but a foundation is more about the staff than any one person. He sets the vision for what he thinks they should do but the experts on the ground are the one actually doing it.
 
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#434
I still like this couple, both of them. I wish more billionaires would fund healthcare projects in Africa, rather than Hwood. They listened to the experts, understood the problem, and stepped up to fix it - in a significant way. Kudos to them for that.

ETA: Heck, give them a Nobel or whatever is bigger than the Nobel.
They have earned one. We know they will put the money to good use.
 
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#435
Although Bill did create a strong company, he also surpassed competition and was ruthless in his pursuit to dominate the market (anti-trust).

Everyone has faults, and I have a tendency to aim for perfection so I feel like I will always see holes in peoples intentions and actions.

As someone who always strives to learn and grow, especially academically I like his claim of being a life long learner. I like that Melinda is religious but shows that she has her doubts and that she advocates for contraception (something her faith is not supportive of).

I always thought of Bill and Melinda as a solid couple, and knowing they aren't is kind of scary. If they can't make it work, what hope is there for the rest of us. Especially because both of them seem very grounded and down to earth.
 
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