At the moment, billionaire Elon Musk, who is also the richest man on Earth, is on cloud nine. On one hand, the Tesla CEO has made a bid to takeover Twitter recently while on the other, his personal wealth has also been growing enormously. &nbsp;

But the billionaire seems to have got into a spat with American business magnate Bill Gates. The supposed conversation on chat was shared on Twitter by a user named Whole Mars Catalog. In it, the two billionaires had a conversation, which was later confirmed by Musk in a separate tweet. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/even-after-poison-pill-tactic-billionaire-elon-musk-hopes-to-take-over-twitter-says-will-defeat-spam-bots-472953" hreflang="en">Even after 'poison pill' tactic, Elon Musk hopes to take over Twitter, says will try to defeat spam bots</a>

“So apparently Bill Gates hit up @elonmusk to discuss “philanthropy on climate change” but Elon asked if he still had a half billion dollar short position on $TSLA. Bill said he hasn’t closed it out, so Elon told him to get lost. No idea if this is true lol,” said the tweet, while posting screenshots of the supposed conversation. &nbsp;

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So apparently Bill Gates hit up <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> to discuss “philanthropy on climate change” but Elon asked if he still had a half billion dollar short position on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24TSLA&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$TSLA</a>. 
 
Bill said he hasn’t closed it out, so Elon told him to get lost. No idea if this is true lol <a href="https://t.co/iuHkDG3bAd">pic.twitter.com/iuHkDG3bAd</a>
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/WholeMarsBlog/status/1517626832241057792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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To get to know if it was true, the user tagged Elon Musk. In reply, Musk said, “Yeah, but I didn’t leak it to NYT. They must have got it through friends of friends…I heard from multiple people at TED that Gates still had half billion short against Tesla, which is why I asked him, so it’s not exactly top secret.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

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Yeah, but I didn’t leak it to NYT. They must have got it through friends of friends. 
 
I heard from multiple people at TED that Gates still had half billion short against Tesla, which is why I asked him, so it’s not exactly top secret.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1517702987359133696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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SpaceX chief has also shared a meme on Twitter, and said, “In case u need to lose a boner fast”. In the meme, a picture of Gates and pregnant person emoji can be seen.

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in case u need to lose a boner fast <a href="https://t.co/fcHiaXKCJi">pic.twitter.com/fcHiaXKCJi</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1517707521343082496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Musk and Gates seem to have also been involved in a strife in 2021. As per Tesla CEO, Microsoft co-founder was betting Tesla in the stock market. So, Gates' alleged shorting of Tesla’s stock (TSLA) had become popular.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Billionaire Elon Musk has lined up $46.5 billion to buy Twitter

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Shorting or short selling means selling a security at a given price without actually possessing it, and buying it again at a lower price in markets. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

At the moment, billionaire Elon Musk, who is also the richest man on Earth, is on cloud nine. On one hand, the Tesla CEO has made a bid to takeover Twitter recently while on the other, his personal wealth has also been growing enormously.

At the moment, billionaire Elon Musk, who is also the richest man on Earth, is on cloud nine. On one hand, the Tesla CEO has made a bid to takeover Twitter recently while on the other, his personal wealth has also been growing enormously. But the billionaire seems to have got into a spat with American business magnate Bill Gates. The supposed conversation on chat was shared on Twitter by a user named Whole Mars Catalog. In it, the two billionaires had a conversation, which was later confirmed by Musk in a separate tweet. Also Read: Even after 'poison pill' tactic, Elon Musk hopes to take over Twitter, says will try to defeat spam bots “So apparently Bill Gates hit up @elonmusk to discuss “philanthropy on climate change” but Elon asked if he still had a half billion dollar short position on $TSLA. Bill said he hasn’t closed it out, so Elon told him to get lost. No idea if this is true lol,” said the tweet, while posting screenshots of the supposed conversation. So apparently Bill Gates hit up @elonmusk to discuss “philanthropy on climate change” but Elon asked if he still had a half billion dollar short position on $TSLA. Bill said he hasn’t closed it out, so Elon told him to get lost. No idea if this is true lol pic.twitter.com/iuHkDG3bAd — Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) April 22, 2022 × To get to know if it was true, the user tagged Elon Musk. In reply, Musk said, “Yeah, but I didn’t leak it to NYT. They must have got it through friends of friends…I heard from multiple people at TED that Gates still had half billion short against Tesla, which is why I asked him, so it’s not exactly top secret.” Yeah, but I didn’t leak it to NYT. They must have got it through friends of friends. I heard from multiple people at TED that Gates still had half billion short against Tesla, which is why I asked him, so it’s not exactly top secret. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2022 × SpaceX chief has also shared a meme on Twitter, and said, “In case u need to lose a boner fast”. In the meme, a picture of Gates and pregnant person emoji can be seen. in case u need to lose a boner fast pic.twitter.com/fcHiaXKCJi — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2022 × Musk and Gates seem to have also been involved in a strife in 2021. As per Tesla CEO, Microsoft co-founder was betting Tesla in the stock market. So, Gates' alleged shorting of Tesla’s stock (TSLA) had become popular. Watch: Billionaire Elon Musk has lined up $46.5 billion to buy Twitter × Shorting or short selling means selling a security at a given price without actually possessing it, and buying it again at a lower price in markets. (With inputs from agencies)

Leaked! Elon Musk confronts Bill Gates on shorting Tesla stock, mocks him with 'pregnant man' emoji

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has now embroiled himself in another disagreement with fellow billionaire Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates. Musk has confirmed that he asked Bill Gates if the latter has half billion short against Tesla when Gates approached him to discuss philanthropy on climate change

Elon Musk triggers another row, now it is Elon Musk versus Bill Gates

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has called Jeffrey Epstein "evil personified," and slammed ex-husband Bill Gates for having met him multiple times.

Late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was involed in human trafficking and killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charge.

A socialite and donor, his network of relationships extended from former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton to British Prince Andrew.

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"I wanted to see who this man was, and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door," she told CBS Mornings in an interview.

Melinda said meeting Epstein was "abhorrent," and afterward she had "nightmares."

"Any of the questions remaining about what Bill's relationship there was, those are for Bill to answer, but I made it very clear how I felt about him," said French Gates.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mackenzie-scott-and-melinda-french-gates-donate-40-million-to-gender-equality-projects-401803">Also read |&nbsp;MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates donate $40 million to gender equality projects</a>

The billionaire formerly donated the majority of her wealth to the charitable organisation, which fights global poverty, disease, and inequity.

The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, of which Gates is co-chair, is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/where-is-jeffrey-epsteins-money-going-448444">Also read |&nbsp;Where is Jeffrey Epstein’s money going?</a>

They had finalised their divorce in August, and have continued their work together at the foundation. French Gates’ future there, though, remains unknown - she could leave her position within two years if she and her former husband decide they can no longer work together.

The Wall Street Journal revealed that Bill Gates's March 2020 departure from Microsoft occurred during an investigation into an affair he had with an employee in 2000.

''I believe in forgiveness. I thought we had worked through some of that,'' she said about Bill's affair with a Microsoft employee.

''I gave every single piece of myself to this marriage. I was committed from the day we got engaged to the day we ended it,'' she added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has called Jeffrey Epstein "evil personified," and slammed ex-husband Bill Gates for having met him multiple times. Late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was involed in human trafficking and killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charge.

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates has called Jeffrey Epstein "evil personified," and slammed ex-husband Bill Gates for having met him multiple times. Late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was involed in human trafficking and killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charge. A socialite and donor, his network of relationships extended from former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton to British Prince Andrew. "I wanted to see who this man was, and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door," she told CBS Mornings in an interview. Melinda said meeting Epstein was "abhorrent," and afterward she had "nightmares." "Any of the questions remaining about what Bill's relationship there was, those are for Bill to answer, but I made it very clear how I felt about him," said French Gates. Also read | MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates donate $40 million to gender equality projects The billionaire formerly donated the majority of her wealth to the charitable organisation, which fights global poverty, disease, and inequity. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, of which Gates is co-chair, is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations. Also read | Where is Jeffrey Epstein’s money going? They had finalised their divorce in August, and have continued their work together at the foundation. French Gates’ future there, though, remains unknown - she could leave her position within two years if she and her former husband decide they can no longer work together. The Wall Street Journal revealed that Bill Gates's March 2020 departure from Microsoft occurred during an investigation into an affair he had with an employee in 2000. ''I believe in forgiveness. I thought we had worked through some of that,'' she said about Bill's affair with a Microsoft employee. ''I gave every single piece of myself to this marriage. I was committed from the day we got engaged to the day we ended it,'' she added. (With inputs from agencies)

Melinda Gates calls meeting Epstein 'abhorrent', slams ex-husband Bill's friendship with him

Noting that risks of Covid-19 had 'dramatically reduced', Bill Gates warned that it was almost certain that the world will see another pandemic. He was speaking at Germany's annual Munich Security Conference.

Gates said that severity of coronavirus had lessened and large part of the global population had attained a certain level of protection against the infection.

“The chance of severe disease, which is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, those risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure," he said.

However, he cautioned: “We’ll have another pandemic. It will be a different pathogen next time."

He said that the world would be in a better position to tackle future pandemics if investments were made in medical technology now.

“The cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not that large," he said, adding: “It’s not like climate change. If we’re rational, yes, the next time we’ll catch it early."

Gates said that it was too late to reach the goal set by World Health Organisation (WHO) to vaccinate 70 per cent of global population by mid-2022

“Next time we should try and make it, instead of two years, we should make it more like six months," he said, adding that standardized platforms, including messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, would make that possible.

“The cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not that large. It’s not like climate change. If we’re rational, yes, the next time we’ll catch it early," said Gates, who is the co-chair of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.

Noting that risks of Covid-19 had 'dramatically reduced', Bill Gates warned that it was almost certain that the world will see another pandemic. He was speaking at Germany's annual Munich Security Conference.

Noting that risks of Covid-19 had 'dramatically reduced', Bill Gates warned that it was almost certain that the world will see another pandemic. He was speaking at Germany's annual Munich Security Conference. Gates said that severity of coronavirus had lessened and large part of the global population had attained a certain level of protection against the infection. “The chance of severe disease, which is mainly associated with being elderly and having obesity or diabetes, those risks are now dramatically reduced because of that infection exposure," he said. However, he cautioned: “We’ll have another pandemic. It will be a different pathogen next time." He said that the world would be in a better position to tackle future pandemics if investments were made in medical technology now. “The cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not that large," he said, adding: “It’s not like climate change. If we’re rational, yes, the next time we’ll catch it early." Gates said that it was too late to reach the goal set by World Health Organisation (WHO) to vaccinate 70 per cent of global population by mid-2022 “Next time we should try and make it, instead of two years, we should make it more like six months," he said, adding that standardized platforms, including messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, would make that possible. “The cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not that large. It’s not like climate change. If we’re rational, yes, the next time we’ll catch it early," said Gates, who is the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Covid risk 'dramatically reduced' but world may face another pandemic: Bill Gates

On Thursday, Pakistan received a special guest. The co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates. What was he doing in Islamabad? Discussing the eradication of Polio with Pak PM Imran Khan. Pakistan is among the only 2 countries still fighting polio. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Here's what Bill Gates was doing in Islamabad

Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and&nbsp;Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates will speak about the road ahead for life science and healthcare industries at BioAsia 2022, beginning from February 24. 
 
Gates will engage in a fireside chat with Telangana`s Industry and Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao during the virtual event. 
 
The fireside chat will be around a range of themes including the Covid-19 pandemic, learnings during the past two years, emerging healthcare trends, and what can be done to strengthen the global healthcare system going forward. 
 
The 19th edition of BioAsia, the largest annual global Biotechnology and Life Sciences convention of Asia, will see the participation of prominent leaders from the life sciences and healthcare industry.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-meet-afghan-sikh-hindu-community-members-soon-454207">PM Modi to meet Afghan Sikh, Hindu community members soon</a> 
 
Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman, Johnson &amp; Johnson and Geoff Martha, Chairman &amp; CEO of Medtronic, will address the participants at the two-day event. 
 
"I am delighted that the 2022 edition of BioAsia will feature some of the most influential and visionary leaders. I look forward to an interesting session with Gates to assess the industry`s current position and determine the roadmap ahead. The delegates of BioAsia across the world would also benefit by listening to Gorsky and Martha who come with immense knowledge around the global life sciences industry," said Rama Rao. 
 
Bill Gates is known for his incredible philanthropic contributions through his foundation, and for his keen interest in technology, science, and emerging challenges such as climate change. In addition to sharing lessons learnt from the pandemic, Gates will also talk about the milestones achieved by the global partnership and the road ahead. 
 
With this year's theme being 'Future Ready'&nbsp;the focus of the chat will be on the new approaches and capabilities that can equip the world to be prepared and what is the role of stakeholders including the government, industry, etc.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-makes-helmets-and-safety-harnesses-a-must-for-kids-riding-pillion-454019">India makes helmets and safety harnesses a must for kids riding pillion</a> 
 
Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman of the world's largest healthcare company Johnson &amp; Johnson, would deliver the keynote address during the event. Gorsky was also serving as the CEO of the company until recently and under his leadership of over 3 decades, Johnson &amp; Johnson was consistently recognized as one of the most innovative and best managed companies in the world. 
 
Gorsky is also a member of the board of iconic global organisations including Apple and IBM, as well as the Wharton School of Business. He will share his perspectives around topics of importance for the life sciences industry like impact of the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, innovation ecosystem and start-ups, role of new technologies within healthcare such as AI, ML, Deep Learning etc, among others.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Should India revisit the relevance of reservation?

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Another prominent leader, Geoffrey S. Martha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic will also keynote in this year`s event. Medtronic is the world`s leading medical technology company, with $29 billion in annual revenue, more than 90,000 employees, and operations reaching more than 150 countries worldwide. 
 
Martha will address BioAsia attendees on the global trends in the medtech sector including the role India and Asia can play in the global efforts to accelerate the medtech growth.

Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates will speak about the road ahead for life science and healthcare industries at BioAsia 2022, beginning from February 24.

Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates will speak about the road ahead for life science and healthcare industries at BioAsia 2022, beginning from February 24. Gates will engage in a fireside chat with Telangana`s Industry and Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao during the virtual event. The fireside chat will be around a range of themes including the Covid-19 pandemic, learnings during the past two years, emerging healthcare trends, and what can be done to strengthen the global healthcare system going forward. The 19th edition of BioAsia, the largest annual global Biotechnology and Life Sciences convention of Asia, will see the participation of prominent leaders from the life sciences and healthcare industry. Also read | PM Modi to meet Afghan Sikh, Hindu community members soon Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman, Johnson & Johnson and Geoff Martha, Chairman & CEO of Medtronic, will address the participants at the two-day event. "I am delighted that the 2022 edition of BioAsia will feature some of the most influential and visionary leaders. I look forward to an interesting session with Gates to assess the industry`s current position and determine the roadmap ahead. The delegates of BioAsia across the world would also benefit by listening to Gorsky and Martha who come with immense knowledge around the global life sciences industry," said Rama Rao. Bill Gates is known for his incredible philanthropic contributions through his foundation, and for his keen interest in technology, science, and emerging challenges such as climate change. In addition to sharing lessons learnt from the pandemic, Gates will also talk about the milestones achieved by the global partnership and the road ahead. With this year's theme being 'Future Ready' the focus of the chat will be on the new approaches and capabilities that can equip the world to be prepared and what is the role of stakeholders including the government, industry, etc. Also read | India makes helmets and safety harnesses a must for kids riding pillion Alex Gorsky, Executive Chairman of the world's largest healthcare company Johnson & Johnson, would deliver the keynote address during the event. Gorsky was also serving as the CEO of the company until recently and under his leadership of over 3 decades, Johnson & Johnson was consistently recognized as one of the most innovative and best managed companies in the world. Gorsky is also a member of the board of iconic global organisations including Apple and IBM, as well as the Wharton School of Business. He will share his perspectives around topics of importance for the life sciences industry like impact of the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, innovation ecosystem and start-ups, role of new technologies within healthcare such as AI, ML, Deep Learning etc, among others. Watch | Gravitas: Should India revisit the relevance of reservation? Another prominent leader, Geoffrey S. Martha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic will also keynote in this year`s event. Medtronic is the world`s leading medical technology company, with $29 billion in annual revenue, more than 90,000 employees, and operations reaching more than 150 countries worldwide. Martha will address BioAsia attendees on the global trends in the medtech sector including the role India and Asia can play in the global efforts to accelerate the medtech growth.

Bill Gates to address BioAsia in fireside chat with KTR

Secretary-General of Pakistan Muslim League Ahsan Iqbal took to his official Twitter handle, taking a dig at Pakistan&nbsp;Prime Minister Imran Khan claiming that he has "an inflated ego."

Iqbal shared an image of Bill Gates sitting across the table with Imran Khan. "Guests like him should be treated with respect," he&nbsp;wrote. He further made a comparison between Microsoft's worth and Pakistan's GDP. He did not just stop at this as he mentioned that Microsoft's annual revenues stand at $160 billion, while Pakistan's annual exports stand at $25 billion.&nbsp;

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Bill Gates is not a subordinate official or Secretary. IK has an inflated ego. Guests like him should be treated with respect. 
 
Microsoft worth: $460b 
Pakistan GDP: $280b 
 
Microsoft annual Revenues: $160b 
Pakistan annual exports: $25b <a href="https://t.co/WcKDIg9jsT">pic.twitter.com/WcKDIg9jsT</a>
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) <a href="https://twitter.com/betterpakistan/status/1494535642696540172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Microsoft co-founder met with Imran Khan during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office has said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/node/454148">Also read |&nbsp;Here's what Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates doing in Pakistan</a>

Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate.

The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations.&nbsp;

During his visit, Gates also met with the country's Covid-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic. Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps (regarding polio eradication)&nbsp;in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Secretary-General of Pakistan Muslim League Ahsan Iqbal took to his official Twitter handle, taking a dig at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan claiming that he has "an inflated ego.

Secretary-General of Pakistan Muslim League Ahsan Iqbal took to his official Twitter handle, taking a dig at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan claiming that he has "an inflated ego." Iqbal shared an image of Bill Gates sitting across the table with Imran Khan. "Guests like him should be treated with respect," he wrote. He further made a comparison between Microsoft's worth and Pakistan's GDP. He did not just stop at this as he mentioned that Microsoft's annual revenues stand at $160 billion, while Pakistan's annual exports stand at $25 billion. Bill Gates is not a subordinate official or Secretary. IK has an inflated ego. Guests like him should be treated with respect. Microsoft worth: $460b Pakistan GDP: $280b Microsoft annual Revenues: $160b Pakistan annual exports: $25b pic.twitter.com/WcKDIg9jsT — Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) February 18, 2022 × The Microsoft co-founder met with Imran Khan during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office has said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch. Also read | Here's what Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates doing in Pakistan Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations. During his visit, Gates also met with the country's Covid-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic. Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps (regarding polio eradication) in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme". (With inputs from agencies)

'He is not a subordinate official': PML's Ahsan Iqbal takes a dig at Imran Khan during Bill Gates' visit

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as&nbsp;Khan hosted Gates over lunch.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It was a pleasure to welcome @BillGates who came to Pakistan on my invitation. Apart from his many achievements, he is admired globally for his philanthropy," cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan tweeted.&nbsp;

"On behalf of our nation I thank him for his immense contribution towards polio eradication &amp; poverty alleviation initiatives," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/price-surge-in-pak-galvanises-oppositions-plan-to-bring-no-confidence-vote-against-imran-khan-453857">Price surge in Pak galvanises opposition's plan to bring no-confidence vote against Imran Khan</a>

Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. &nbsp;

The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations.&nbsp;

Health and humanitarian officials say that Pakistan's attempts to eradicate polio are at a hopeful but sensitive stage. No children have been paralysed by wild polio in Pakistan in more than a year.&nbsp;

However, as per the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation,&nbsp;the virus was detected in December in sewerage samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.&nbsp;

ALSO READ&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-journalist-arrested-for-making-obscene-remarks-about-imran-khan-453755">Pak scribe fires at cops before his arrest for 'obscene' remarks against Imran</a>

During his visit, Gates also met with the country's COVID-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic.

Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps [regarding polio eradication] in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme". He shared pictures of the meeting on Twitter.&nbsp;

Gates was also conferred the country's second-highest civilian award by the country's president.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday (February 17) during his first-ever visit to the South Asian nation. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office said that the Microsoft co-founder was visiting the country on the premier's "special invitation" as Khan hosted Gates over lunch. "It was a pleasure to welcome @BillGates who came to Pakistan on my invitation. Apart from his many achievements, he is admired globally for his philanthropy," cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan tweeted. "On behalf of our nation I thank him for his immense contribution towards polio eradication & poverty alleviation initiatives," he added. ALSO READ | Price surge in Pak galvanises opposition's plan to bring no-confidence vote against Imran Khan Pakistan and Afghanistan are countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. Bill Gates met with Khan to discuss polio eradication in one of the last two countries of the world where the virus is endemic. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a major project between governments and international organisations. Health and humanitarian officials say that Pakistan's attempts to eradicate polio are at a hopeful but sensitive stage. No children have been paralysed by wild polio in Pakistan in more than a year. However, as per the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the virus was detected in December in sewerage samples in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. ALSO READ | Pak scribe fires at cops before his arrest for 'obscene' remarks against Imran During his visit, Gates also met with the country's COVID-19 National Command and Operation Centre, which leads the country's response to the pandemic. Pakistan's Senator Faisal Javed Khan said Gates "greatly appreciated steps [regarding polio eradication] in Pakistan, the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) performance in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and initiatives such as the Ehsaas programme". He shared pictures of the meeting on Twitter. Gates was also conferred the country's second-highest civilian award by the country's president. (With inputs from agencies)

Here's what Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates doing in Pakistan

Most countries are now moving away from fossil fuels and that's why a nuclear innovation company founded by Bill Gates is setting up a power plant at a town in America's Wyoming state, here's how natrium technology could be the future of advanced clean energy.

In United State's Wyoming town, Bill Gates bets big on nuclear power

World's 10 richest men add $402bn to their net worth in 2021. Take a look who gained more

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic. In his review of the year, which has been published on GatesNotes blog, Gates wrote, "It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to a close some time in 2022."

Deeming the Omicron variant as "concerning," he says that researchers are working to learn more and more about it and soon the world will have a lot more information.&nbsp;

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2021 was an incredibly hard year for many people, including me, but there are reasons to be optimistic that 2022 will be better: <a href="https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq">https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq</a> <a href="https://t.co/C0SdhYxKg8">pic.twitter.com/C0SdhYxKg8</a>
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1468664794567700483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"It’s troubling any time a new variant of concern emerges, but I’m still hopeful that, at some point next year, COVID-19 will become an endemic disease in most places. Although it is currently about 10 times more lethal than flu, vaccines and antivirals could cut that number by half or more," he wrote in his blog.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-almost-certainly-not-more-severe-than-delta-top-epidemiologist-anthony-fauci-434951">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant 'almost certainly' not more severe than Delta: Top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci</a>

He urged the world to take important lessons from Covid response that will make people better prepared next time.

He has appreciated the progress in terms of vaccines and said that it is remarkable. "The world has never made and distributed a vaccine for a disease faster than it did for COVID-19," Gates wrote. He further highlighted that he thinks the mRNA vaccines will be seen as the most consequential breakthrough of the pandemic.&nbsp;

Apart from the pandemic, he wrote about several other topics including the container ship being stuck at the Suez canal and WHO's approval of the first Malaria vaccine.&nbsp;

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic.

While the entire world is grappling with the fear of the new Covid variant, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has come up with his words of optimism as he predicts the ending time of the pandemic. In his review of the year, which has been published on GatesNotes blog, Gates wrote, "It might be foolish to make another prediction, but I think the acute phase of the pandemic will come to a close some time in 2022." Deeming the Omicron variant as "concerning," he says that researchers are working to learn more and more about it and soon the world will have a lot more information. 2021 was an incredibly hard year for many people, including me, but there are reasons to be optimistic that 2022 will be better: https://t.co/BxF6Q4K9Mq pic.twitter.com/C0SdhYxKg8 — Bill Gates (@BillGates) December 8, 2021 × "It’s troubling any time a new variant of concern emerges, but I’m still hopeful that, at some point next year, COVID-19 will become an endemic disease in most places. Although it is currently about 10 times more lethal than flu, vaccines and antivirals could cut that number by half or more," he wrote in his blog. Also read | Omicron variant 'almost certainly' not more severe than Delta: Top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci He urged the world to take important lessons from Covid response that will make people better prepared next time. He has appreciated the progress in terms of vaccines and said that it is remarkable. "The world has never made and distributed a vaccine for a disease faster than it did for COVID-19," Gates wrote. He further highlighted that he thinks the mRNA vaccines will be seen as the most consequential breakthrough of the pandemic. Apart from the pandemic, he wrote about several other topics including the container ship being stuck at the Suez canal and WHO's approval of the first Malaria vaccine.

In his review of the year, Bill Gates predicts the ending time of pandemic amid fears of Omicron

Lead 'em then leave 'em: Tech founders who quit

In a rare win for activist shareholders, Microsoft Inc has agreed on better reporting of&nbsp;sexual harassment data.&nbsp;

They have passed a resolution to address more transparently such claims through independent investigations and public reporting.

According to a regulatory filing by the company, the proposal received 77.97 per cent in favour.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/vignesh-sundaresan-buys-nft-for-69-million-people-can-download-it-for-free-433242" hreflang="en">Vignesh Sundaresan buys NFT for $69 million; people can download it for free</a>

It issued a statement saying, ''While Microsoft has conducted prior internal investigations into sexual harassment and gender discrimination allegations, it has failed to report transparently on any independent investigations to employees and investors.''

“To avoid legal and reputational risk and maintain shareholder value, Microsoft must create a culture of accountability and transparency, protecting employees from harassment and discrimination.”

It comes after reports had emerged that the company's co-founder Bill Gates had tried to start a relationship with an employee in 2000.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-owner-meta-asked-to-sell-giphy-by-british-regulator-432991" hreflang="en">Facebook-owner Meta asked to sell Giphy by British regulator&nbsp;</a>

Arjuna Capital had sought a report from the software firm on the effectiveness of its policies to battle sexual harassment in the workplace.

It is a Boston-based investment adviser and frequent filer of shareholder resolutions pressing companies for changes like disclosing more data on pay equity.

Microsoft already internally shares annual data on the volume of sexual harassment concerns raised and the results of the investigations into them. It has now adopted plans to make that data public.

The vote comes as big mutual fund firms increasingly support investor challenges to companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and as employees of big tech firms stage walkouts protesting their tackling of sexual harassment claims.

A similar proposal had been introduced in automaker Tesla Inc last year stating that support for a shareholder resolution on how it handles arbitration to resolve workplace complaints of harassment and discrimination rose to 46 per cent of votes cast at its annual meeting, up from 27 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

In a rare win for activist shareholders, Microsoft Inc has agreed on better reporting of sexual harassment data. They have passed a resolution to address more transparently such claims through independent investigations and public reporting.

In a rare win for activist shareholders, Microsoft Inc has agreed on better reporting of sexual harassment data. They have passed a resolution to address more transparently such claims through independent investigations and public reporting. According to a regulatory filing by the company, the proposal received 77.97 per cent in favour. Also read | Vignesh Sundaresan buys NFT for $69 million; people can download it for free It issued a statement saying, ''While Microsoft has conducted prior internal investigations into sexual harassment and gender discrimination allegations, it has failed to report transparently on any independent investigations to employees and investors.'' “To avoid legal and reputational risk and maintain shareholder value, Microsoft must create a culture of accountability and transparency, protecting employees from harassment and discrimination.” It comes after reports had emerged that the company's co-founder Bill Gates had tried to start a relationship with an employee in 2000. Also read | Facebook-owner Meta asked to sell Giphy by British regulator Arjuna Capital had sought a report from the software firm on the effectiveness of its policies to battle sexual harassment in the workplace. It is a Boston-based investment adviser and frequent filer of shareholder resolutions pressing companies for changes like disclosing more data on pay equity. Microsoft already internally shares annual data on the volume of sexual harassment concerns raised and the results of the investigations into them. It has now adopted plans to make that data public. The vote comes as big mutual fund firms increasingly support investor challenges to companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and as employees of big tech firms stage walkouts protesting their tackling of sexual harassment claims. A similar proposal had been introduced in automaker Tesla Inc last year stating that support for a shareholder resolution on how it handles arbitration to resolve workplace complaints of harassment and discrimination rose to 46 per cent of votes cast at its annual meeting, up from 27 per cent. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft to publish sexual harassment data after Bill Gates scandal

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers.

According to sources familiar with the case, Microsoft management found emails between Gates and a midlevel female employee at the firm more than a decade ago, while Gates was still an employee at Microsoft and chairman of the board.

According to the sources, the then-married Gates was flirty and propositioned the female employee in the communication.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Bill and Melinda Gates split up after 27 years of marriage

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In 2007, Gates, then a full-time employee and Microsoft president, flirted with a female staffer via email and asked her to a meeting outside of work.

The firm became aware of the emails the next year, and executives from the group informed Gates that they were improper and had to be stopped. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Bill Gates quit Microsoft amid probe into affair with staffer

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates accepted the facts and stated that he would not do it again.

The board, which was made aware of these connections, took no action.&nbsp;

"Microsoft has nothing to share other than verifying the veracity of the WSJ article," a Microsoft representative said on Monday.

Gates stepped down as Microsoft's president in 2008, although he remained on the company's board of directors until March 2020.

After 27 years of marriage, the former Microsoft CEO and one of the world's wealthiest men announced their divorce in May.

(With inputs from agencies)

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers.

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers. According to sources familiar with the case, Microsoft management found emails between Gates and a midlevel female employee at the firm more than a decade ago, while Gates was still an employee at Microsoft and chairman of the board. According to the sources, the then-married Gates was flirty and propositioned the female employee in the communication. Watch | Bill and Melinda Gates split up after 27 years of marriage In 2007, Gates, then a full-time employee and Microsoft president, flirted with a female staffer via email and asked her to a meeting outside of work. The firm became aware of the emails the next year, and executives from the group informed Gates that they were improper and had to be stopped. Watch | Gravitas: Bill Gates quit Microsoft amid probe into affair with staffer According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates accepted the facts and stated that he would not do it again. The board, which was made aware of these connections, took no action. "Microsoft has nothing to share other than verifying the veracity of the WSJ article," a Microsoft representative said on Monday. Gates stepped down as Microsoft's president in 2008, although he remained on the company's board of directors until March 2020. After 27 years of marriage, the former Microsoft CEO and one of the world's wealthiest men announced their divorce in May. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft warned Bill Gates over flirtatious emails to female colleague in 2008: Report

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday.

The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date. Senior Microsoft executives learned of the emails in 2008, according to Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesperson.

“These emails proposed meeting outside of work and off campus,” Shaw said. “While flirtatious, they were not overtly sexual but were deemed to be inappropriate.”

After they discovered the messages, executives warned Gates that his behaviour was inappropriate and notified a small group of board members about the incident, Shaw said. Gates told the board members that he agreed that what he had done was inappropriate, and the board took no further action.

Gates left the company shortly thereafter in a long-planned departure, though he remained a member of its board until last year. The executives’ warnings to Gates were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-plans-on-hiring-10000-people-in-eu-to-work-on-metaverse-421830">Also read |&nbsp;Facebook plans on hiring 10,000 people in EU to work on metaverse</a>

Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Journal quoted her as saying, “These claims are false, recycled rumours from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest.”

In 2019, after The New York Times reported on Gates’s long-running relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft’s board began looking into a report that Gates had, years earlier, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate at Microsoft.

Gates and his wife, Melinda French Gates, announced earlier this year that they were ending their 27-year marriage.

The Times reported in May that Gates had developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. The article described Gates making an overture to a female Microsoft employee after having attended a presentation by her while he was the company’s chair. Gates left the meeting and immediately emailed the woman to ask her out to dinner, the Times reported.

“If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened,” Gates wrote in an email, according to a person who read it to the Times.

Shaw said Monday that it was Gates’ emails to that female employee that triggered executives’ warnings to Gates in 2008.

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday. The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date.

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday. The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date. Senior Microsoft executives learned of the emails in 2008, according to Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesperson. “These emails proposed meeting outside of work and off campus,” Shaw said. “While flirtatious, they were not overtly sexual but were deemed to be inappropriate.” After they discovered the messages, executives warned Gates that his behaviour was inappropriate and notified a small group of board members about the incident, Shaw said. Gates told the board members that he agreed that what he had done was inappropriate, and the board took no further action. Gates left the company shortly thereafter in a long-planned departure, though he remained a member of its board until last year. The executives’ warnings to Gates were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. Also read | Facebook plans on hiring 10,000 people in EU to work on metaverse Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Journal quoted her as saying, “These claims are false, recycled rumours from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest.” In 2019, after The New York Times reported on Gates’s long-running relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft’s board began looking into a report that Gates had, years earlier, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate at Microsoft. Gates and his wife, Melinda French Gates, announced earlier this year that they were ending their 27-year marriage. The Times reported in May that Gates had developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. The article described Gates making an overture to a female Microsoft employee after having attended a presentation by her while he was the company’s chair. Gates left the meeting and immediately emailed the woman to ask her out to dinner, the Times reported. “If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened,” Gates wrote in an email, according to a person who read it to the Times. Shaw said Monday that it was Gates’ emails to that female employee that triggered executives’ warnings to Gates in 2008.

Microsoft leaders warned Bill Gates over ‘inappropriate’ emails

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is now worth more than both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 50-year-old’s net worth is $230 billion as of Friday. Microsoft founder Gates is placed fourth with $130 billion while Buffett is placed 10th with $102 billion.

Both Gates and Buffett previously held the world’s richest title. Musk first passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest man in January with a net worth of $185 billion. Bezos had held the title since 2017.

Musk has added more than $60 billion to his fortune this year thanks to the strong performance of Tesla stock as well as a recent share sale at SpaceX which valued the company at $100 billion. The SpaceX deal added $11 billion to Musk’s net worth,&nbsp;according to Bloomberg.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/is-teslas-elon-musk-a-master-manipulator-of-markets-389229">&nbsp;Is Tesla’s Elon Musk a master manipulator of markets?</a>

Gates and Buffett are noted for giving way their wealth, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars to charitable causes, while Musk has been criticised for not giving away enough of his riches.

Earlier this year, Musk pledged to give away $150 million, including a $100 million prize in a carbon removal contest.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-asks-people-to-use-signal-app-instead-of-whatsapp-and-facebook-over-privacy-issues-355704">Elon Musk asks people to use Signal app instead of WhatsApp and Facebook over privacy issues</a>

Musk grew up in South Africa before moving to Canada aged 17, and then California where he became a young entrepreneur, founding software and then banking companies — one of which was merged to become PayPal.

In the early 2000s he formed aerospace manufacturer SpaceX and electric vehicle company Tesla Motors.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is now worth more than both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 50-year-old’s net worth is $230 billion as of Friday.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is now worth more than both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the 50-year-old’s net worth is $230 billion as of Friday. Microsoft founder Gates is placed fourth with $130 billion while Buffett is placed 10th with $102 billion. Both Gates and Buffett previously held the world’s richest title. Musk first passed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest man in January with a net worth of $185 billion. Bezos had held the title since 2017. Musk has added more than $60 billion to his fortune this year thanks to the strong performance of Tesla stock as well as a recent share sale at SpaceX which valued the company at $100 billion. The SpaceX deal added $11 billion to Musk’s net worth, according to Bloomberg. Also read | Is Tesla’s Elon Musk a master manipulator of markets? Gates and Buffett are noted for giving way their wealth, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars to charitable causes, while Musk has been criticised for not giving away enough of his riches. Earlier this year, Musk pledged to give away $150 million, including a $100 million prize in a carbon removal contest. Also read | Elon Musk asks people to use Signal app instead of WhatsApp and Facebook over privacy issues Musk grew up in South Africa before moving to Canada aged 17, and then California where he became a young entrepreneur, founding software and then banking companies — one of which was merged to become PayPal. In the early 2000s he formed aerospace manufacturer SpaceX and electric vehicle company Tesla Motors. (With inputs from agencies)

With $230 billion net worth, Musk is now richer than Gates and Buffett combined

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following&nbsp;appropriate&nbsp;rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc. But anti-vaxxers continue to come up with bizarre conspiracy theories, falsehoods, misinformation to oppose COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions imposed by governments around the world.&nbsp;

Recently, a similar incident from the football world grabbed attention when a report showed the magnitude of the English Premier League's vaccination problem as it has been&nbsp;revealed that almost two-thirds of top-flight players are yet to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/how-premier-league-can-avert-the-covid-19-crisis-as-majority-of-players-not-getting-jabbed-417419">How Premier League can avert the COVID-19 crisis as majority of players not getting jabbed?</a>

Now, what's making it worse is another angle of the same report by Daily Mail, that revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines.&nbsp;

"It's very frustrating and hard to know what to do, as the conspiracy theories have really taken hold in some dressing rooms," a club doctor told the paper.&nbsp;

"We've got senior players, intelligent men, coming out with all sorts of nonsense and they won't be budged. One of them told me he didn't need the vaccine because he could boost his immunity by taking vitamins," he added.&nbsp;

"Some of the stuff they're reading — and believing — on the internet is incredible. Players are saying that it will make them infertile, that it's part of a plot involving Bill Gates, the pandemic is just propaganda. The real problem is that they're also polluting the minds of younger players," he further said.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/was-boxing-in-rio-olympics-2016-rigged-independent-probe-reveals-shocking-details-of-bout-manipulation-417377">Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation'</a>

The Mail also reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players.&nbsp;

The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that the league is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake.&nbsp;

The letter as quoted by the media portal&nbsp;read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go."

"We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added.&nbsp;

"It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read.

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following appropriate rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc.

There's no denying the fact that the spread of coronavirus can be curbed by following appropriate rules and safety measures, i.e. social distancing, using face masks, getting jabbed, etc. But anti-vaxxers continue to come up with bizarre conspiracy theories, falsehoods, misinformation to oppose COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions imposed by governments around the world. Recently, a similar incident from the football world grabbed attention when a report showed the magnitude of the English Premier League's vaccination problem as it has been revealed that almost two-thirds of top-flight players are yet to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus. ALSO READ | How Premier League can avert the COVID-19 crisis as majority of players not getting jabbed? Now, what's making it worse is another angle of the same report by Daily Mail, that revealed some players are not only refusing to get vaccinated but they are spreading so-called "conspiracy theories" involving Bill Gates, infertility and the power of vitamins about the vaccines. "It's very frustrating and hard to know what to do, as the conspiracy theories have really taken hold in some dressing rooms," a club doctor told the paper. "We've got senior players, intelligent men, coming out with all sorts of nonsense and they won't be budged. One of them told me he didn't need the vaccine because he could boost his immunity by taking vitamins," he added. "Some of the stuff they're reading — and believing — on the internet is incredible. Players are saying that it will make them infertile, that it's part of a plot involving Bill Gates, the pandemic is just propaganda. The real problem is that they're also polluting the minds of younger players," he further said. ALSO READ | Was boxing in Rio Olympics 2016 rigged? Independent probe reveals shocking details of 'bout manipulation' The Mail also reported that the Premier League has written to clubs informing them of plans to "reward" teams who have the highest numbers of vaccinated players. The letter, which was sent to clubs last week, highlighted that the league is stepping up its efforts to ensure more players are fully vaccinated due to fears over a slow uptake. The letter as quoted by the media portal read: "According to the data we have, only seven clubs' squads are more than 50 per cent fully vaccinated, so we have a way to go." "We are considering if and how best we can 'reward' those squads/players who are most Covid-compliant and who have opted to be vaccinated," it added. "It is increasingly clear that full vaccination will be the key criteria for Government and health authorities, in terms of international travel and potential Covid certification at large scale events,'" a part of the letter read.

'A plot involving Bill Gates': Premier League players have bizarre 'conspiracy theories' about Covid and vaccines

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he regrets his meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who has also been accused of child sex trafficking.&nbsp;

Speaking to CNN, the billionaire said he had “several dinners” with Epstein in hopes of raising billions of dollars for combating global health issues.&nbsp;

He further claimed that the relationship ended as soon as he realised Epstein’s assurance regarding the philanthropy project was not a “real thing.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bill-gates-melinda-finalise-divorce-court-documents-show-402559">Also read |&nbsp;Bill Gates, Melinda finalise divorce, court documents show&nbsp;</a>

During the interview, Gates said, "I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended".

Earlier, in 2019, Gates told The Wall Street Journal that he had met Epstein, but “didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him”.

“Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognises it was an error in judgment to do so,” The New York Times had also quoted a spokesperson for Gates as saying.

Epstein, who had pleaded guilty in two-state prostitution charges and had registered as a sex offender, hanged himself in 2019 awaiting a sex trafficking trial.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he regrets his meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who has also been accused of child sex trafficking. Speaking to CNN, the billionaire said he had “several dinners” with Epstein in hopes of raising billions of dollars for combating global health issues.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he regrets his meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who has also been accused of child sex trafficking. Speaking to CNN, the billionaire said he had “several dinners” with Epstein in hopes of raising billions of dollars for combating global health issues. He further claimed that the relationship ended as soon as he realised Epstein’s assurance regarding the philanthropy project was not a “real thing.” Also read | Bill Gates, Melinda finalise divorce, court documents show During the interview, Gates said, "I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended". Earlier, in 2019, Gates told The Wall Street Journal that he had met Epstein, but “didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him”. “Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognises it was an error in judgment to do so,” The New York Times had also quoted a spokesperson for Gates as saying. Epstein, who had pleaded guilty in two-state prostitution charges and had registered as a sex offender, hanged himself in 2019 awaiting a sex trafficking trial.

Bill Gates regrets meeting convicted sex offender Epstein

The equestrian rider from Egypt set up a heavenly execution at the Tokyo Olympics and got a spot in the final. With a run of 17 obstacles, Nayel Nassar is currently one step nearer to win at the tournament.

Nayel Nassar is engaged to Jennifer Gates, the daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda. Hence, it shocked no one that both supported Nassar on social media.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="Tokyo Olympics: Ravi Kumar one bout away from assuring India of another medal">Tokyo Olympics: Ravi Kumar one bout away from assuring India of another medal</a>

Hours after a Washington judge reported that Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are formally separated, the couple has something to cheer about on account of their future son-in-law Nayel Nasser.&nbsp;

Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates had announced their engagement in January 2020.&nbsp;

Sharing a photograph of Nayel Nassar, Melinda Gates said that this time around the Olympics was special because of the rider's essence.

“I always love watching the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics are particularly special because I get to cheer on my future son-in-law, Nayel Nassar. We are so proud of you, Nayel,” she said.

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ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-american-sydney-mclaughlin-shatters-world-record-to-win-womens-400-hurdles-402723" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics: American Sydney McLaughlin shatters world record to win women's 400 hurdles</a>

Bill Gates, as well, said on the photograph sharing application that he was rooting for Nayel Nassar.&nbsp;

“I'm rooting for lots of the athletes in Tokyo right now—but none more than my soon-to-be son-in-law, Nayel Nassar. Good luck, Nayel,” he said ahead of the qualifiers.

Nayel Nassar shared his fervor at having hustled to the final. In an extended post, he said, &nbsp;“Igor is clear in our Olympic debut and sneaks into the individual final. Thank you, Igor and everyone rooting for us near and far. Only part of the job done, but so excited to be among the last ones standing after a very unforgiving qualifier.”

The equestrian rider from Egypt set up a heavenly execution at the Tokyo Olympics and got a spot in the final. With a run of 17 obstacles, Nayel Nassar is currently one step nearer to win at the tournament.

The equestrian rider from Egypt set up a heavenly execution at the Tokyo Olympics and got a spot in the final. With a run of 17 obstacles, Nayel Nassar is currently one step nearer to win at the tournament. Nayel Nassar is engaged to Jennifer Gates, the daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda. Hence, it shocked no one that both supported Nassar on social media. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics: Ravi Kumar one bout away from assuring India of another medal Hours after a Washington judge reported that Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are formally separated, the couple has something to cheer about on account of their future son-in-law Nayel Nasser. Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates had announced their engagement in January 2020. Sharing a photograph of Nayel Nassar, Melinda Gates said that this time around the Olympics was special because of the rider's essence. “I always love watching the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics are particularly special because I get to cheer on my future son-in-law, Nayel Nassar. We are so proud of you, Nayel,” she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Melinda French Gates (@melindafrenchgates) × ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics: American Sydney McLaughlin shatters world record to win women's 400 hurdles Bill Gates, as well, said on the photograph sharing application that he was rooting for Nayel Nassar. “I'm rooting for lots of the athletes in Tokyo right now—but none more than my soon-to-be son-in-law, Nayel Nassar. Good luck, Nayel,” he said ahead of the qualifiers. Nayel Nassar shared his fervor at having hustled to the final. In an extended post, he said, “Igor is clear in our Olympic debut and sneaks into the individual final. Thank you, Igor and everyone rooting for us near and far. Only part of the job done, but so excited to be among the last ones standing after a very unforgiving qualifier.”

Tokyo Olympics: 'Particularly special': Melinda and Bill Gates cheer for their 'future' son-in-law in Equestrian final

Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott,&nbsp;one of the world's wealthiest women, have announced&nbsp;a new round of large charitable donations totaling $40&nbsp;million for&nbsp;advancing the power and influence of&nbsp;women over the next decade.

The powerful philanthropic pairing will donate the entire amount to the winners of the 'Equality Can't Wait Challenge', which&nbsp;is the first competition centered on gender equality in the United States&nbsp;with an award of this magnitude.

"The overwhelming response to the Challenge proves there's no shortage of transformational ideas about how to accelerate progress for women and girls," said&nbsp;Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal Ventures.&nbsp;

"The next step is to make sure those game-changing ideas get the support they need to become fully realized and improve people's lives. We can break the patterns of history and advance gender equality, but we must commit to lifting up organizations, like the ones receiving awards today, that are ready to lift up women and girls," she added.

The four awardees will be&nbsp;selected following a multi-phase process. Their ideas center on the voices of women who have been most impacted by gender inequity,&nbsp;focus on action and leverage the inherent strengths and power of women to tackle the barriers they face today.

French Gates and Scott, who were formerly married to Seattle-based tech founders Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, respectively, are famous for their&nbsp;large charitable donations.

Melinda Gates&nbsp;is&nbsp;the co-chair of The Gates Foundation that&nbsp;gives away roughly $5 billion each year in areas like global public health and development.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;MacKenzie&nbsp;Scott, who quickly gave away an estimated $6 billion after her divorced from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019 and is now a powerful independent philanthropist in her own right.

(With inputs from agencies)

Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott, one of the world's wealthiest women, have announced a new round of large charitable donations totaling $40 million for advancing the power and influence of women over the next decade.

Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott, one of the world's wealthiest women, have announced a new round of large charitable donations totaling $40 million for advancing the power and influence of women over the next decade. The powerful philanthropic pairing will donate the entire amount to the winners of the 'Equality Can't Wait Challenge', which is the first competition centered on gender equality in the United States with an award of this magnitude. "The overwhelming response to the Challenge proves there's no shortage of transformational ideas about how to accelerate progress for women and girls," said Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal Ventures. "The next step is to make sure those game-changing ideas get the support they need to become fully realized and improve people's lives. We can break the patterns of history and advance gender equality, but we must commit to lifting up organizations, like the ones receiving awards today, that are ready to lift up women and girls," she added. The four awardees will be selected following a multi-phase process. Their ideas center on the voices of women who have been most impacted by gender inequity, focus on action and leverage the inherent strengths and power of women to tackle the barriers they face today. French Gates and Scott, who were formerly married to Seattle-based tech founders Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, respectively, are famous for their large charitable donations. Melinda Gates is the co-chair of The Gates Foundation that gives away roughly $5 billion each year in areas like global public health and development. Meanwhile, MacKenzie Scott, who quickly gave away an estimated $6 billion after her divorced from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019 and is now a powerful independent philanthropist in her own right. (With inputs from agencies)

MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates donate $40 million to gender equality projects

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have at times referred to the foundation they established together as their “fourth child.” If over the next two years they cannot find a way to work together following their planned divorce, Gates will get full custody.

That was one of the most important takeaways from a series of announcements about the future of the world’s largest charitable foundation made Wednesday by its chief executive, Mark Suzman, overshadowing an injection of an additional $15 billion in resources that will be added to the $50 billion previously amassed in its endowment over two decades.

“They have agreed that if after two years either one of them decides that they cannot continue to work together, Melinda will resign as co-chair and trustee,” Suzman said in a message to foundation employees Wednesday. If that happens, he added, French Gates “would receive personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work” separate from the foundation’s endowment.

The money at stake underscores the strange mix of public significance — in global health, poverty reduction and gender equality, among other important areas — and private affairs that attends any move made by the first couple of philanthropy, even after the announcement of their split. The foundation plans to add additional trustees outside their close circle, a step toward better governance that philanthropy experts had urged for years.

When they announced their divorce in May, Gates and French Gates noted the importance of the work done by the foundation they had built together and said they “continue to share a belief in that mission.” In the announcement Wednesday, each echoed those sentiments. “These new resources and the evolution of the foundation’s governance will sustain this ambitious mission and vital work for years to come,” Gates said in a statement.

French Gates emphasized the importance of expanding the board. “These governance changes bring more diverse perspectives and experience to the foundation’s leadership,” French Gates said in a statement. “I believe deeply in the foundation’s mission and remain fully committed as co-chair to its work.”

In the immediate aftermath of the divorce announcement, it was unclear how they would share control of the institution. Wednesday’s announcement indicated that if they cannot work out their differences, it is Microsoft co-founder Gates who will maintain control as he essentially buys his ex-wife out of the foundation.

Suzman said he did not know how much she would get if it came to that. But any payout would likely be significant.

Public records show that billions of dollars’ worth of stock have already been transferred into French Gates’ name since the divorce was announced. She pursues her own priorities through a separate organization known as Pivotal Ventures. Gates also has his own group, Gates Ventures.

Less than a year ago, the Gates Foundation was run by Gates, French Gates, Gates’ father, and one of his closest friends, billionaire investor Warren Buffett. It was a remarkable concentration of power for one of the most influential institutions in the world, a $50 billion private foundation that works in every corner of the globe.

The restructuring announced Wednesday could begin the process of making the Gates Foundation more responsive to the people its mission aims to help and loosen the grip on the reins that its founders have held for more than two decades.

“We’re trying to do this in a very careful and deliberate manner, thinking for the long term,” Suzman said in an interview.

In a larger sense, the planned changes at the Gates Foundation reflect the tensions within philanthropy as a whole — between the wishes of the wealthy, powerful donors who provide the millions and even billions of dollars and the nonprofits using those funds to feed, shelter and treat those in need.

“The problems with the governance predated the separation and divorce just as those problems are an issue with all family foundations,” said Rob Reich, co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford.

Two former senior Gates Foundation officials called for an expanded board in an article a few weeks after the divorce announcement, including “a chair who is not the foundation’s CEO, founder, or a founder’s family member.”

“Given that founders receive a substantial tax benefit for their donations, the assets the board oversees should be regarded as belonging to the public, with the board being held accountable to a fiduciary standard of care,” wrote Alex Friedman, the former chief financial officer, and Julie Sunderland, the former director of the foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund.

The Gates Foundation is trying to fight COVID-19, eradicate polio and reshape the struggle for gender equality, even as its two co-chairs extricate themselves from a 27-year marriage. The foundation has more than 1,700 employees and makes grants in countries around the world. Since 2000, the foundation has made grants totaling more than $55 billion, much of it from Gates and French Gates, but tens of billions also came from their close friend Buffett, chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway.

Yet in significant ways, the future of such an influential institution, one that touches the lives of millions of people through its grant recipients, is being decided in a separation agreement between two billionaires.

Buffett’s announcement last month that he was stepping down as the third trustee of the foundation made clear that the divorce had set significant changes in motion. Suzman promised at the time that governance changes would be announced this month, with many observers anticipating that a new slate of independent trustees would be revealed.

Details on what that might look like remained few Wednesday, with neither names of candidates for the board of trustees nor even the ultimate number of new trustees released. Gates and French Gates will approve changes to the foundation’s governance structures by the end of the year, and the new trustees will be announced in January 2022, according to the statement.

At the center of the impending changes stands Suzman, a 14-year veteran of the Gates Foundation who was named chief executive just as the spread of COVID-19 in the United States was becoming apparent. Born in South Africa, the Harvard and Oxford-educated Suzman served as a correspondent for the Financial Times in London, South Africa and Washington before going to work at the United Nations. He joined the foundation in 2007 to work on global development policy before claiming the top post last year.

Suzman said in an interview that he had only heard that Gates and French Gates would be divorcing roughly 24 hours before the news was publicly announced. He said that they started talking about possible governance changes “almost right away” after that. He said that he is in regular contact with them both. “I’m having three-way conversations with them. We’re having regular three-way email exchanges and other discussions,” Suzman said.

He noted that the hands-on leadership of Gates and French Gates means the changes will take some time to enact.

“The degree and depth of engagement of our co-chairs and trustees goes significantly beyond what a traditional board does and how it does it,” he said in the interview. “So we’ll need some time to think through how we balance that with the people we bring on board.”

Suzman will work with Connie Collingsworth, the foundation’s chief operating officer and chief legal officer, to handle the process. The final decisions on both the new trustees and the changes to the foundation’s governance documents will be made by Gates and French Gates. It is a reminder that, at least for now, power remains concentrated in the former couple.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have at times referred to the foundation they established together as their “fourth child.” If over the next two years they cannot find a way to work together following their planned divorce, Gates will get full custody.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have at times referred to the foundation they established together as their “fourth child.” If over the next two years they cannot find a way to work together following their planned divorce, Gates will get full custody. That was one of the most important takeaways from a series of announcements about the future of the world’s largest charitable foundation made Wednesday by its chief executive, Mark Suzman, overshadowing an injection of an additional $15 billion in resources that will be added to the $50 billion previously amassed in its endowment over two decades. “They have agreed that if after two years either one of them decides that they cannot continue to work together, Melinda will resign as co-chair and trustee,” Suzman said in a message to foundation employees Wednesday. If that happens, he added, French Gates “would receive personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work” separate from the foundation’s endowment. The money at stake underscores the strange mix of public significance — in global health, poverty reduction and gender equality, among other important areas — and private affairs that attends any move made by the first couple of philanthropy, even after the announcement of their split. The foundation plans to add additional trustees outside their close circle, a step toward better governance that philanthropy experts had urged for years. When they announced their divorce in May, Gates and French Gates noted the importance of the work done by the foundation they had built together and said they “continue to share a belief in that mission.” In the announcement Wednesday, each echoed those sentiments. “These new resources and the evolution of the foundation’s governance will sustain this ambitious mission and vital work for years to come,” Gates said in a statement. French Gates emphasized the importance of expanding the board. “These governance changes bring more diverse perspectives and experience to the foundation’s leadership,” French Gates said in a statement. “I believe deeply in the foundation’s mission and remain fully committed as co-chair to its work.” In the immediate aftermath of the divorce announcement, it was unclear how they would share control of the institution. Wednesday’s announcement indicated that if they cannot work out their differences, it is Microsoft co-founder Gates who will maintain control as he essentially buys his ex-wife out of the foundation. Suzman said he did not know how much she would get if it came to that. But any payout would likely be significant. Public records show that billions of dollars’ worth of stock have already been transferred into French Gates’ name since the divorce was announced. She pursues her own priorities through a separate organization known as Pivotal Ventures. Gates also has his own group, Gates Ventures. Less than a year ago, the Gates Foundation was run by Gates, French Gates, Gates’ father, and one of his closest friends, billionaire investor Warren Buffett. It was a remarkable concentration of power for one of the most influential institutions in the world, a $50 billion private foundation that works in every corner of the globe. The restructuring announced Wednesday could begin the process of making the Gates Foundation more responsive to the people its mission aims to help and loosen the grip on the reins that its founders have held for more than two decades. “We’re trying to do this in a very careful and deliberate manner, thinking for the long term,” Suzman said in an interview. In a larger sense, the planned changes at the Gates Foundation reflect the tensions within philanthropy as a whole — between the wishes of the wealthy, powerful donors who provide the millions and even billions of dollars and the nonprofits using those funds to feed, shelter and treat those in need. “The problems with the governance predated the separation and divorce just as those problems are an issue with all family foundations,” said Rob Reich, co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford. Two former senior Gates Foundation officials called for an expanded board in an article a few weeks after the divorce announcement, including “a chair who is not the foundation’s CEO, founder, or a founder’s family member.” “Given that founders receive a substantial tax benefit for their donations, the assets the board oversees should be regarded as belonging to the public, with the board being held accountable to a fiduciary standard of care,” wrote Alex Friedman, the former chief financial officer, and Julie Sunderland, the former director of the foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund. The Gates Foundation is trying to fight COVID-19, eradicate polio and reshape the struggle for gender equality, even as its two co-chairs extricate themselves from a 27-year marriage. The foundation has more than 1,700 employees and makes grants in countries around the world. Since 2000, the foundation has made grants totaling more than $55 billion, much of it from Gates and French Gates, but tens of billions also came from their close friend Buffett, chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway. Yet in significant ways, the future of such an influential institution, one that touches the lives of millions of people through its grant recipients, is being decided in a separation agreement between two billionaires. Buffett’s announcement last month that he was stepping down as the third trustee of the foundation made clear that the divorce had set significant changes in motion. Suzman promised at the time that governance changes would be announced this month, with many observers anticipating that a new slate of independent trustees would be revealed. Details on what that might look like remained few Wednesday, with neither names of candidates for the board of trustees nor even the ultimate number of new trustees released. Gates and French Gates will approve changes to the foundation’s governance structures by the end of the year, and the new trustees will be announced in January 2022, according to the statement. At the center of the impending changes stands Suzman, a 14-year veteran of the Gates Foundation who was named chief executive just as the spread of COVID-19 in the United States was becoming apparent. Born in South Africa, the Harvard and Oxford-educated Suzman served as a correspondent for the Financial Times in London, South Africa and Washington before going to work at the United Nations. He joined the foundation in 2007 to work on global development policy before claiming the top post last year. Suzman said in an interview that he had only heard that Gates and French Gates would be divorcing roughly 24 hours before the news was publicly announced. He said that they started talking about possible governance changes “almost right away” after that. He said that he is in regular contact with them both. “I’m having three-way conversations with them. We’re having regular three-way email exchanges and other discussions,” Suzman said. He noted that the hands-on leadership of Gates and French Gates means the changes will take some time to enact. “The degree and depth of engagement of our co-chairs and trustees goes significantly beyond what a traditional board does and how it does it,” he said in the interview. “So we’ll need some time to think through how we balance that with the people we bring on board.” Suzman will work with Connie Collingsworth, the foundation’s chief operating officer and chief legal officer, to handle the process. The final decisions on both the new trustees and the changes to the foundation’s governance documents will be made by Gates and French Gates. It is a reminder that, at least for now, power remains concentrated in the former couple.

Bill Gates can remove Melinda French Gates from foundation work in two years

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/bill-gates">Bill gates</a> owned TerraPower, and power company PacifiCorp, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has chosen the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming as the location of their new joint project, the first Natrium nuclear reactor.

As states strive to cut emissions that cause climate change, small advanced reactors that run on fuels different than the ones used in traditional reactors, are regarded as a critical carbon-free technology that holds the potential to supplement intermittent power sources like wind and solar.

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Speaking at a press conference, held for the launch of the project in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Bill gates said “We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,”.

“This is our fastest and clearest course to becoming carbon negative,” says Wyoming’s governor, Mark Gordon. “Nuclear power is clearly a part of my all-of-the-above strategy for energy” in Wyoming, the country’s top coal-producing state.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bill-gates-is-no-longer-worlds-second-richest-person-345025">Bill Gates is no longer world's second-richest person</a>

Featuring a 345-megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten salt-based energy storage, which has the potential to boost the system’s power output to 500MW during peak power demand, this project according to TerraPower estimates would cost about $1bn.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-the-gates-divorce-means-for-the-gates-foundation-382950">What the Gates divorce means for the Gates Foundation</a>

With commitments of additional funding (subject to congressional appropriations) in coming years, late last year as initial funding to demonstrate Natrium technology the US energy department awarded TerraPower $80m.

World Nuclear power experts warn that compared to conventional reactors; advanced reactors could have higher risks. According to,&nbsp;a recent report as the fuel for many advanced reactors would require a higher rate of enrichment as compared to conventional fuel, the fuel supply chain can be a very attractive target for militants looking to create a crude nuclear weapon.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-dirt-is-piling-on-bill-gates-americas-loveable-grandpa-385708">The dirt is piling on Bill Gates, America's loveable grandpa</a>

TerraPower’s president and chief executive, Chris Levesque said the demonstration plant would take approximately seven years to build.

“We need this kind of clean energy on the grid in the 2030s,” he told reporters, adding that because these plants reduce overall nuclear waste, they would reduce proliferation risks.

Bill gates owned TerraPower, and power company PacifiCorp, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has chosen the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming as the location of their new joint project, the first Natrium nuclear reactor.

Bill gates owned TerraPower, and power company PacifiCorp, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has chosen the site of a retiring coal plant in Wyoming as the location of their new joint project, the first Natrium nuclear reactor. As states strive to cut emissions that cause climate change, small advanced reactors that run on fuels different than the ones used in traditional reactors, are regarded as a critical carbon-free technology that holds the potential to supplement intermittent power sources like wind and solar. Also read | A culture of fear at the firm that manages Bill Gates’ fortune Speaking at a press conference, held for the launch of the project in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Bill gates said “We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,”. “This is our fastest and clearest course to becoming carbon negative,” says Wyoming’s governor, Mark Gordon. “Nuclear power is clearly a part of my all-of-the-above strategy for energy” in Wyoming, the country’s top coal-producing state. Also read | Bill Gates is no longer world's second-richest person Featuring a 345-megawatt sodium-cooled fast reactor with molten salt-based energy storage, which has the potential to boost the system’s power output to 500MW during peak power demand, this project according to TerraPower estimates would cost about $1bn. Also read | What the Gates divorce means for the Gates Foundation With commitments of additional funding (subject to congressional appropriations) in coming years, late last year as initial funding to demonstrate Natrium technology the US energy department awarded TerraPower $80m. World Nuclear power experts warn that compared to conventional reactors; advanced reactors could have higher risks. According to, a recent report as the fuel for many advanced reactors would require a higher rate of enrichment as compared to conventional fuel, the fuel supply chain can be a very attractive target for militants looking to create a crude nuclear weapon. Also read | The dirt is piling on Bill Gates, America's loveable grandpa TerraPower’s president and chief executive, Chris Levesque said the demonstration plant would take approximately seven years to build. “We need this kind of clean energy on the grid in the 2030s,” he told reporters, adding that because these plants reduce overall nuclear waste, they would reduce proliferation risks.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet launch the first Natrium nuclear reactor

For 27 years, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/bill-gates">Bill Gates</a> has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson.

Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founder’s money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsoft’s shares, Gates’ fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion.

But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates’ money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm.

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He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join.

Over the years, at least six people — including four Cascade employees — complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larson’s behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm.

Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates’ unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the company’s lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade.

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Gates’ reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of women’s empowerment.

As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls — a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates’ recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsoft’s board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year.

Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larson’s misconduct.

“During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total,” Giglio said. He added, “Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larson’s dismissal."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-bill-gates-quit-microsoft-amid-probe-into-affair-with-staffer-385721">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-bill-gates-quit-microsoft-amid-probe-into-affair-with-staffer-385721/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascade’s, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. “BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace,” Giglio said.

Arnold said, “BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior.” She added that “any issue raised over the company’s history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately.”

Larson said, “Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture.”

Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, “Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI."

Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.

Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak.

A generic name

Before Larson, Gates’ financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans’ criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager.

The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile.

From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses’ money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates’ personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gates’s own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&amp;L Gates, the law firm where Gates’ father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran.

Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson.

Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundation’s $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen.

Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates’ assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009.

Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: “We don’t want Bill’s name in the headlines.”

‘You live in the ghetto’

In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace.

Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the company’s shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larson’s trades on their computer terminals.

Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpace’s stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time.

Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra.

At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay.

On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: “But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people don’t vote.” The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later.

Giglio denied that Larson made the remark.

At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larson’s remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter.

In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future.

“When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously” and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages.

Potential to embarrass

In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundation’s endowment.

Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascade’s ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed “to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.”) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandview’s reputation in part by spreading “false and defamatory” lies about it in the market.

Sydow, the godfather to one of Larson’s children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things.

Larson has “the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation,” Sydow wrote.

“We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons,” Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio.

After Ybarra’s departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting.

Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larson’s office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high.

Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didn’t seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. “We don’t need this,” the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that.

Larson’s conduct did not improve, former employees said.

In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as “stupid” or called their work “garbage,” according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as “Larson bombs.”) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees’ presentations with comments like, “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today,” Larson said in the statement. “I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change.”

At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. “Which one of them do you wanna” have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb.

When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, “Are you losing weight for me?” according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single.

On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money.

Larson denied making any of those comments. “This is not true,” he said.

A Canceled contract

About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larson’s chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harrington’s firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said.

“This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right,” Giglio said.

Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harrington’s firm, the people said.

Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move “not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting.”

By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harrington’s firm that December. “Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time,” he said.

Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in.

In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter.

Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascade’s culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place.

At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation.

Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop manager’s complaint could not be substantiated.

“You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation,” Giglio said. “But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker.”

Larson returned from leave in 2019.

Cascade’s chief operating officer had departed during Larson’s absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larson’s influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm.

The pick was Larson’s college and business school classmate.

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founder’s money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley.

For 27 years, Bill Gates has entrusted the management of his enormous wealth and the endowment of his giant foundation to a single man: Michael Larson. Larson has invested the Microsoft co-founder’s money in farmland, hotels, stocks, bonds, even a bowling alley. Thanks in part to Larson and the soaring value of Microsoft’s shares, Gates’ fortune has gone from less than $10 billion to about $130 billion. But Larson, 61, also engaged in a pattern of workplace misconduct at Gates’ money-management firm, Cascade Investment, according to 10 former employees as well as others familiar with the firm. Also read | The dirt is piling on Bill Gates, America's loveable grandpa He openly judged female employees on their attractiveness, showed colleagues nude photos of women on the internet and on several occasions made sexually inappropriate comments. He made a racist remark to a Black employee. He bullied others. When an employee said she was leaving Cascade, Larson retaliated by trying to hurt the stock price of the company she planned to join. Over the years, at least six people — including four Cascade employees — complained to Gates about Larson, according to former employees and others with direct knowledge of the complaints. (Several of them also complained to his wife, Melinda French Gates.) Cascade made payments to at least seven people who witnessed or knew about Larson’s behavior; in exchange, they agreed to never speak about their time at the firm. Even as Cascade grew to more than 100 employees and to manage more money than most Wall Street hedge funds, the perception that Larson had Gates’ unflinching support allowed him to maintain a culture of fear inside the company’s lakeside offices, the former employees said. Larson still runs Cascade. Also read | What the Gates divorce means for the Gates Foundation Gates’ reluctance to take decisive action at Cascade adds to an emerging portrait of the billionaire philanthropist that is at odds with his image as a roving global do-gooder and champion of women’s empowerment. As The New York Times has reported, Gates for years regularly spent time with Jeffrey Epstein, who faced accusations of sex trafficking of girls — a relationship that was among the factors precipitating French Gates’ recent decision to seek a divorce. And on at least a few occasions, Gates pursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsoft’s board investigated one of those cases, in which Gates acknowledged he had an affair with an employee. Gates stepped down from the board last year. Larson and Chris Giglio, his spokesman, denied some but not all instances of Larson’s misconduct. “During his tenure, Mr. Larson has managed over 380 people, and there have been fewer than five complaints related to him in total,” Giglio said. He added, “Any complaint was investigated and treated seriously and fully examined, and none merited Mr. Larson’s dismissal." WATCH | Giglio and Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, said that Bill and Melinda Gates Investments, whose name is sometimes used interchangeably with Cascade’s, has robust policies to deal with employee complaints about wrongdoing. “BMGI takes all complaints seriously and seeks to address them effectively to guarantee a safe and respectful workplace,” Giglio said. Arnold said, “BMGI does not tolerate inappropriate behavior.” She added that “any issue raised over the company’s history has been taken seriously and resolved appropriately.” Larson said, “Calling BMGI a toxic work environment is unfair to the 160 professionals who make up our team and our culture.” Courtney Wade, a spokeswoman for French Gates, said, “Melinda unequivocally condemns disrespectful and inappropriate conduct in the workplace. She was unaware of most of these allegations given her lack of ownership of and control over BMGI." Some former Cascade employees declined to comment because of nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their time at the company. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution. Years after they left Cascade, a few found talking about Larson so upsetting that they could hardly speak. A generic name Before Larson, Gates’ financial consigliere was Andrew L. Evans, a longtime friend who had previously served a six-month prison sentence for bank fraud. (Gates visited him in jail.) But when Evans’ criminal record was spotlighted in a front-page Wall Street Journal article in 1993, Gates sought out a new money manager. The next year, he hired Larson, who previously was a fund manager at Putnam Investments. In 1995, Cascade was incorporated in Washington state. The generic-sounding name with no reference to Gates allowed Larson to run a vast investment operation with a low public profile. From the start, Cascade, whose sole function was to manage the Gateses’ money, was deeply entwined with the wider Gates universe, including Microsoft. The firm is in the same office park in Kirkland, Washington, as Gates’ personal office, Gates Ventures, and across the street from French Gates’s own group, Pivotal Ventures. Over the years, employees have moved among Cascade, the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, the two Gates ventures and K&L Gates, the law firm where Gates’ father had been a named partner. In 2005, when Cascade needed a new human resources executive, the company hired a Microsoft veteran. Larson regularly hired people fresh out of college or in the early stages of their careers. Graduates of Claremont McKenna College, his alma mater, were a particular favorite. The college has several scholarships endowed by Larson. Some employees saw working at Cascade as a way to make the world a better place. Because Cascade also oversees the Gates Foundation’s $50 billion endowment, helping it do well meant more money for things like fighting malaria and funding education. Others said they were star-struck by the idea of working for Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. Throughout his tenure, Larson earned steady returns for Gates. He invested largely in undervalued, old-fashioned stocks, eschewing hot tech companies. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the strategy paid off. Larson also shielded Gates’ assets from the steepest declines of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Larson branched out into real estate and high-end hotels. He bought a 47.5% stake in the Four Seasons chain. He acquired vast tracts of land that by some estimates make Gates the largest private owner of farmland in the United States. Chasing the highest returns was not the main goal. The mandate, according to one former employee, was: “We don’t want Bill’s name in the headlines.” ‘You live in the ghetto’ In the spring of 2004, Stacy Ybarra decided to quit her job at Cascade to join the internet company InfoSpace. Ybarra, then 30, had joined Cascade three years earlier as an investor relations analyst. After she announced her planned departure, Larson became so angry that he shorted the stock of InfoSpace, according to three people familiar with the episode. (Short selling involves placing bearish bets on the company’s shares, which sometimes causes the stock to fall.) Two of the people said they saw Larson’s trades on their computer terminals. Larson told Ybarra and others that he had shorted InfoSpace’s stock out of spite, according to the three people, who heard about his remarks at the time. Giglio confirmed that Cascade shorted the stock but denied that Larson did it to spite Ybarra. At the same time, Larson repeatedly pressured Ybarra to remain at Cascade. She ultimately agreed to stay. On Election Day that November, Larson asked some Cascade employees in the office about the best time to go vote. Ybarra, who is Black, replied that she had voted that morning without having to wait in line. Larson responded: “But you live in the ghetto, and everybody knows that Black people don’t vote.” The scene was described by two people who heard the comment and a third who was told about it later. Giglio denied that Larson made the remark. At least one employee at Cascade complained to human resources about Larson’s remark. The complaint made its way to Gates and French Gates, who later spoke to Ybarra as part of an internal investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. In January 2005, she quit Cascade, received a small payout and agreed to not speak about the firm in the future. “When these allegations were made more than 15 years ago, BMGI took them very seriously” and hired an independent lawyer to investigate, Giglio said. He added that it is standard procedure at Cascade to have employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get severance packages. Potential to embarrass In November 2006, Gates and French Gates were sent another complaint about Larson. This one was from Robert E. Sydow, a California fund manager who had been close friends with Larson and whose firm, Grandview Capital Management, had been hired by Larson to manage a $1.6 billion slice of the foundation’s endowment. Sydow wrote a six-page letter to the Gateses accusing Larson of abruptly severing Cascade’s ties with Grandview after a dispute. (The dispute, Sydow wrote, came after Sydow warned Larson that he needed “to stop using his power to hurt others in anger.”) The letter, reviewed by The Times, said Larson had harmed Grandview’s reputation in part by spreading “false and defamatory” lies about it in the market. Sydow, the godfather to one of Larson’s children, went on to describe multiple instances of Larson seeking to punish employees who left Cascade and retaliating against those who cooperated with the investigation into his treatment of Ybarra, among other things. Larson has “the potential to greatly embarrass both you and the foundation,” Sydow wrote. “We exit agreements with third-party investment managers for a variety of reasons,” Larson said in a statement sent by Giglio. After Ybarra’s departure, Cascade hired a new head of human resources, Kathy Berman. She had once worked at Microsoft, most recently as the head of executive recruiting. Around then, there were also efforts to create physical distance between Larson and some Cascade employees, including moving a number of people onto a different floor from Larson’s office, according to three former employees. Giglio said employee morale was high. Cascade employees including Larson were required to undergo sexual harassment and sensitivity training. Larson didn’t seem to take it seriously, one former employee said. “We don’t need this,” the former employee recalled Larson saying. Giglio denied that. Larson’s conduct did not improve, former employees said. In emails, he sometimes castigated colleagues as “stupid” or called their work “garbage,” according to several people who saw the emails. (The missives came to be known as “Larson bombs.”) At meetings, he would sometimes dismiss employees’ presentations with comments like, “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.” “Years ago, earlier in my career, I used harsh language that I would not use today,” Larson said in the statement. “I regret this greatly but have done a lot of work to change.” At a work Christmas party in the mid-2000s, Larson was seated outdoors with a small group of male employees after dinner, according to one of the men. Three female colleagues were standing about 20 feet away. “Which one of them do you wanna” have sex with? Larson asked the men, using a profane verb. When a female employee was on a Weight Watchers program, Larson asked her, “Are you losing weight for me?” according to someone who heard the remark. Another former employee said Larson would ask male employees whether certain women at Cascade were single. On at least one occasion in recent years, with employees looking on, Larson displayed photographs of naked women on his phone and compared them to Berman, the human resources executive, according to a former employee who witnessed the incident and another person who was told about it. (Berman left Cascade in 2015.) Another woman who worked at Cascade said Larson asked her if she would strip for a certain amount of money. Larson denied making any of those comments. “This is not true,” he said. A Canceled contract About three years ago, Megan Scott, Larson’s chief of staff, complained to the Gateses about Larson, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Among her concerns was that Larson was preparing to sign a five-year contract with a recruiting firm that a Cascade employee, Pamela Harrington, was starting, two of the people said. (The proposed contract would pay Harrington’s firm an annual retainer that started at less than $1.5 million and over time decreased to $400,000, said Mitchell Langberg, a lawyer for Harrington.) Scott and another employee complained to the Gateses about what they saw as the close personal relationship between Larson and Harrington, the people said. “This allegation unfairly emanates from a former disgruntled employee who has tried hard to undermine the reputation of Mrs. Harrington, a highly accomplished and successful individual in her own right,” Giglio said. Gates told Larson to cancel the proposed contract with Harrington’s firm, the people said. Giglio said the decision was part of a broader move “not to outsource many internal functions, including recruiting.” By 2019, that had apparently changed. Langberg said that BMGI entered into an executive recruiting contract with Harrington’s firm that December. “Mrs. Harrington has been providing service under that contract since that time,” he said. Around the time of the complaints involving Harrington, Larson was repeatedly propositioning, and being rebuffed by, the manager of a local bicycle store that was mostly owned by a firm, Rally Capital, that Cascade had invested in. In 2017, the manager hired a lawyer, who sent a letter to Gates and French Gates warning them that if Larson did not stop harassing her, she would sue them. The letter said Larson had told the manager that he wanted to have sex with her and another woman, according to someone who read the letter. Gates agreed to settle the matter by having a payment made to the bike store manager. French Gates insisted that an outside investigator review the incident and Cascade’s culture, people familiar with the matter previously told The Times. In 2018, Larson went on paid leave while the investigation took place. At the time, Gates told a Cascade employee that he doubted that Larson would ever return, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Jessie L. Harris, a lawyer for a Seattle law firm, Williams Kastner, conducted the investigation. He concluded that the bike shop manager’s complaint could not be substantiated. “You should know that Michael wanted to contest the allegations throughout the investigation,” Giglio said. “But he, obviously, was not the ultimate decision-maker.” Larson returned from leave in 2019. Cascade’s chief operating officer had departed during Larson’s absence, and Scott left shortly after his return. To curb Larson’s influence over Cascade, Gates told him to hire a new chief operating officer, a former Cascade employee said. Giglio said the process included a committee and an outside search firm. The pick was Larson’s college and business school classmate.

A culture of fear at the firm that manages Bill Gates’ fortune

Bill Gates was the poster boy of philanthropy. When he wasn't fighting polio in Africa, he was spending quality time with his wife. But as it turns out, Bill Gates isn't the perfect guy.

From allegedly starting an affair with his employee to secret meetings with Jeffery Epstein, the dirt is piling on Bill Gates. After 45 years of leading and mentoring Microsoft, Bill Gates was walking away. Better things like philanthropy and battling climate change awaited him, he said. 
 
Watch: The Bill Gates affair

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Turns out, he wasn't running towards better things but away from a chequered past. Bill Gates, an all-American family man, began an affair with his employee. It would stay hidden for nearly two decades. During this time, Gates built on his loveable grandpa image. He founded the Gates Foundation, toured Africa to eradicate polio and pledged to donate half his wealth to charity.

His secret affair would have most likely remained a secret, if not for the MeToo movement. In 2019, Microsoft received a complaint from an employee. She accused Gates of trying to initiate an affair. This violated company policy and the skewed power dynamics. Microsoft roped in a law firm to investigate. But before they could finish the probe, Gates resigned. Was this a coincidence or a backdoor deal? Reports say the company's directors wanted Gates out. They felt his relationship with the employee was inappropriate.

The company isn't talking much about the controversy and Gates denies any link between the affair and his exit. A spokeswoman for Gates had this to say: “There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. The decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter."

Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce earlier this month. Some reports say Melinda was unsettled by her husband's connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates is said to have met Epstein multiple times including at Epstein's notorious New York townhouse. Gates's spokeswoman did not deny the meetings but she says they have been wrongly characterised.

Bill Gates's loveable grandpa image has been shredded. So it's time we ask the uncomfortable question - Was the world's biggest charity drive a shot at redemption?

Bill Gates was the poster boy of philanthropy. When he wasn't fighting polio in Africa, he was spending quality time with his wife. But as it turns out, Bill Gates isn't the perfect guy.

Bill Gates was the poster boy of philanthropy. When he wasn't fighting polio in Africa, he was spending quality time with his wife. But as it turns out, Bill Gates isn't the perfect guy. From allegedly starting an affair with his employee to secret meetings with Jeffery Epstein, the dirt is piling on Bill Gates. After 45 years of leading and mentoring Microsoft, Bill Gates was walking away. Better things like philanthropy and battling climate change awaited him, he said. Watch: The Bill Gates affair Turns out, he wasn't running towards better things but away from a chequered past. Bill Gates, an all-American family man, began an affair with his employee. It would stay hidden for nearly two decades. During this time, Gates built on his loveable grandpa image. He founded the Gates Foundation, toured Africa to eradicate polio and pledged to donate half his wealth to charity. His secret affair would have most likely remained a secret, if not for the MeToo movement. In 2019, Microsoft received a complaint from an employee. She accused Gates of trying to initiate an affair. This violated company policy and the skewed power dynamics. Microsoft roped in a law firm to investigate. But before they could finish the probe, Gates resigned. Was this a coincidence or a backdoor deal? Reports say the company's directors wanted Gates out. They felt his relationship with the employee was inappropriate. The company isn't talking much about the controversy and Gates denies any link between the affair and his exit. A spokeswoman for Gates had this to say: “There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. The decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter." Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce earlier this month. Some reports say Melinda was unsettled by her husband's connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates is said to have met Epstein multiple times including at Epstein's notorious New York townhouse. Gates's spokeswoman did not deny the meetings but she says they have been wrongly characterised. Bill Gates's loveable grandpa image has been shredded. So it's time we ask the uncomfortable question - Was the world's biggest charity drive a shot at redemption?

The dirt is piling on Bill Gates, America's loveable grandpa

A reportedly sour divorce, an 'inappropriate' affair with his employee and secret meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. With dirt piling on Bill Gates, Palki Sharma asks whether the Gates charity show was actually a whitewashing campaign.

Gravitas: Bill Gates quit Microsoft amid probe into affair with staffer

Bill Gates left the Microsoft board in 2020 as the board pursued an investigation into the billionaire's romantic relationship with a female employee, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

The founder and former head of the US technology giant stepped down as board chair in March 2020.

"Microsoft Corp. board members decided that Bill Gates needed to step down from its board in 2020 as they pursued an investigation into the billionaire's prior romantic relationship with a female Microsoft employee that was deemed inappropriate," the Journal reported, citing people close to the matter.

This was "an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably," a spokeswoman for Gates told the Journal.

According to the spokeswoman, Gates left Microsoft to focus more on his philanthropic organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates and his wife Melinda, who co-founded their charity two decades ago to battle global poverty and disease, announced their divorce on May 3 after 27 years of marriage.

A spokesperson for Microsoft told AFP that the company was alerted in the second half of 2019 that "Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000. A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm, to conduct a thorough investigation."

The employee, an engineer, claimed in a letter to have had a sexual relationship with Gates "over years," the Journal reported.

According to the Journal, some board members also asked about links between Gates and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for allegedly trafficking minors.

Gates's team assured the board the Microsoft founder had met Epstein for "philanthropic reasons" and "regretted doing so," the Journal said.

Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975, stepped down as the company's CEO in 2000, saying he wanted to focus on his foundation.

He left his full-time role at Microsoft in 2008.

His seat as a board director, which he left in March 2020, was the last position that officially linked him to the company.

Bill Gates left the Microsoft board in 2020 as the board pursued an investigation into the billionaire's romantic relationship with a female employee, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Bill Gates left the Microsoft board in 2020 as the board pursued an investigation into the billionaire's romantic relationship with a female employee, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The founder and former head of the US technology giant stepped down as board chair in March 2020. "Microsoft Corp. board members decided that Bill Gates needed to step down from its board in 2020 as they pursued an investigation into the billionaire's prior romantic relationship with a female Microsoft employee that was deemed inappropriate," the Journal reported, citing people close to the matter. This was "an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably," a spokeswoman for Gates told the Journal. According to the spokeswoman, Gates left Microsoft to focus more on his philanthropic organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates and his wife Melinda, who co-founded their charity two decades ago to battle global poverty and disease, announced their divorce on May 3 after 27 years of marriage. A spokesperson for Microsoft told AFP that the company was alerted in the second half of 2019 that "Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000. A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm, to conduct a thorough investigation." The employee, an engineer, claimed in a letter to have had a sexual relationship with Gates "over years," the Journal reported. According to the Journal, some board members also asked about links between Gates and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for allegedly trafficking minors. Gates's team assured the board the Microsoft founder had met Epstein for "philanthropic reasons" and "regretted doing so," the Journal said. Gates, who founded Microsoft in 1975, stepped down as the company's CEO in 2000, saying he wanted to focus on his foundation. He left his full-time role at Microsoft in 2008. His seat as a board director, which he left in March 2020, was the last position that officially linked him to the company.

Bill Gates left Microsoft board amid probe into relationship with an employee: Report

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife and fellow philanthropist Melinda announced on Monday they are divorcing after a 27-year marriage.

One of the world's wealthiest couples -- with a joint fortune estimated at $130 billion -- the Gates have channelled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation.

In announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programs in global health, gender equality, education and other causes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-bill-and-melinda-gates-file-for-divorce-382814">Watch |</a>

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"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts.

"Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives," they wrote.

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<a href="https://t.co/padmHSgWGc">pic.twitter.com/padmHSgWGc</a>
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1389316412259270657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives."

The statement offered no additional details on the split but said: "We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."

The announcement comes two years after the divorce of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, another of the world's wealthiest people, and his wife MacKenzie.

Met at Microsoft

Bill Gates, 65, was a geeky teenager when he started what would become the world's most valuable company, and was for a time the world's richest man and a most prominent philanthropist.

He stepped down as Microsoft chief executive in 2008 to devote more time to philanthropy and later left the board, keeping only the title of "founder and technology advisor."

Melinda Gates, 56, met Bill at Microsoft in 1987, shortly after she joined the tech firm, and the pair married in 1994.

Their foundation is among the world's richest, having provided more than $54 billion in grants over two decades in areas including malaria and infectious disease control, agricultural research, basic health care and sanitation, in various parts of the world. It has an endowment of more than $46 billion.

In recent years, Bill Gates has largely distanced himself from Microsoft and the tech industry, instead speaking about poverty and health initiatives, and the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year the foundation pledged some $250 million to help fight the pandemic, with some of the funds channeled to the distribution of life-saving doses of Covid-19 vaccines to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Gates, who had been warning as early as 2015 about the potential dangers of a global pandemic, became the target of conspiracy theorists who claimed he knew in advance about Covid-19.

The split comes following the high-profile divorce of Bezos, whose ex-wife took the name MacKenzie Scott and promptly began giving away billions to various causes without setting up a conventional foundation.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife and fellow philanthropist Melinda announced on Monday they are divorcing after a 27-year marriage. One of the world's wealthiest couples -- with a joint fortune estimated at $130 billion -- the Gates have channelled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife and fellow philanthropist Melinda announced on Monday they are divorcing after a 27-year marriage. One of the world's wealthiest couples -- with a joint fortune estimated at $130 billion -- the Gates have channelled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation. In announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programs in global health, gender equality, education and other causes. Watch | "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts. "Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives," they wrote. pic.twitter.com/padmHSgWGc — Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021 × "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives." The statement offered no additional details on the split but said: "We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life." The announcement comes two years after the divorce of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, another of the world's wealthiest people, and his wife MacKenzie. Met at Microsoft Bill Gates, 65, was a geeky teenager when he started what would become the world's most valuable company, and was for a time the world's richest man and a most prominent philanthropist. He stepped down as Microsoft chief executive in 2008 to devote more time to philanthropy and later left the board, keeping only the title of "founder and technology advisor." Melinda Gates, 56, met Bill at Microsoft in 1987, shortly after she joined the tech firm, and the pair married in 1994. Their foundation is among the world's richest, having provided more than $54 billion in grants over two decades in areas including malaria and infectious disease control, agricultural research, basic health care and sanitation, in various parts of the world. It has an endowment of more than $46 billion. In recent years, Bill Gates has largely distanced himself from Microsoft and the tech industry, instead speaking about poverty and health initiatives, and the coronavirus pandemic. Last year the foundation pledged some $250 million to help fight the pandemic, with some of the funds channeled to the distribution of life-saving doses of Covid-19 vaccines to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Gates, who had been warning as early as 2015 about the potential dangers of a global pandemic, became the target of conspiracy theorists who claimed he knew in advance about Covid-19. The split comes following the high-profile divorce of Bezos, whose ex-wife took the name MacKenzie Scott and promptly began giving away billions to various causes without setting up a conventional foundation.

Bill and Melinda Gates divorce after 27 years of marriage, future of foundation in question

Falling out of love can be really expensive, especially if you are a billionaire or Bill Gates. The Microsoft co-founder and Melinda Gates are ending their 27-year-old marriage. Reports say this could be the world's most expensive divorce.

Gravitas: Bill and Melinda Gates file for divorce

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started with ambitions that, by its lofty standards today, appear almost quaint: providing free internet access to public libraries in the United States. As its founders’ objectives grew in scope, so did the foundation’s reach, until it achieved its current position as the preeminent private institution in global public health.

With 1,600 staff members directing $5 billion in annual grants to 135 countries around the globe, the Gates Foundation set a new standard for private philanthropy in the 21st century.

All of that was thrown into question Monday when the world learned that the foundation’s co-chairs, who had been married for 27 years, filed for divorce in Washington state. Grant recipients and staff members alike wondered what would happen and whether it might affect the mission.

The message from the headquarters in Seattle was clear: Bill and Melinda Gates may be splitting up, but the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation isn’t going anywhere. Their roles as co-chairs and trustees are not changing, and they will still set the agenda for the organization that bears their names. In an email Monday, the Gates Foundation’s chief executive, Mark Suzman, reassured the staff that both Bill and Melinda Gates remained committed to the organization.

While noting that it was “obviously a difficult time of personal change for” the couple, Suzman added that “Bill and Melinda asked me explicitly to express their deep gratitude for everything you do every day, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as for your support and understanding in this difficult time.”

The foundation’s $50 billion endowment is in a charitable trust that is irrevocable. It cannot be removed or divided up as a marital asset, said Megan Tompkins-Stange, a professor of public policy and scholar of philanthropy at the University of Michigan. She noted, however, that there was no legal mandate that would prevent them from changing course.

“I think there may be changes to come,” she said. “But I don’t see it as a big asteroid landing on the field of philanthropy as some of the hyperbole around this has indicated.”

Bill Gates has been an object of fascination in the United States almost from the moment he came on the scene as a founder of Microsoft, the prototypical computer genius turned entrepreneur, the nerdy foil to Steve Jobs and his black turtlenecks and arty designs. He became the richest man in the world, and with the Justice Department’s 1998 antitrust case against Microsoft, he was heralded as the new John D. Rockefeller, for better and worse.

But in the decades since, he has transformed his image through the work he and Melinda Gates jointly pursued with the foundation, becoming best known for his generosity rather than his ruthlessness in business. The nearly $55 billion that the Gates Foundation has given away also gave the couple instant access to heads of state and leaders of industry.

Melinda Gates has had her own growing profile, both through her work for the foundation as well as her firm, Pivotal Ventures, which she has used since 2015 to invest in causes related to women’s economic empowerment. Some observers noted that Gates had added her maiden name, French, to her Twitter profile.

The couple deployed their connections last year in response to the pandemic, calling leaders like Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi to drum up support for their plans. The foundation has committed $1.75 billion so far to its COVID-19 response and played a key role in shaping the global deal to bring vaccines to poor countries.

That prominence has also brought a fair share of scrutiny, throwing a spotlight on Bill Gates’ robust defense of intellectual property rights — in this case, specific to vaccine patents — even in a time of extreme crisis, as well as the larger question of how unelected wealthy individuals can play such an outsize part on the global stage.

“In a civil society that is democratic, one couple’s personal choices shouldn’t lead university research centers, service providers and nonprofits to really question whether they’ll be able to continue,” said Maribel Morey, founding executive director of the Miami Institute for the Social Sciences.

Melinda Gates filed the petition for divorce Monday in Superior Court in King County, Washington, calling the marriage “irretrievably broken” and asking the court to dissolve it. In her filing, Gates said the couple were already separated. She signed the form in Bellevue, Washington, and Bill Gates signed his part in Palm Desert, California, near where they own a home.

The petition said the couple had a separation contract in place. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show transfers on Monday of millions of shares of Canadian National Railway and AutoNation worth a combined $1.8 billion to Melinda Gates from Cascade Investment, a holding company for Bill Gates.

An enormous fortune by almost any standard, the $1.8 billion is less than 2% of the Forbes estimate of Bill Gates’ total worth and presumably just one small step in the ultimate division of the couple’s marital assets. The transfers were reported earlier by Bloomberg.

Before the news of the divorce broke, the Gates Foundation had been in the midst of a period of upheaval. The pandemic shuttered its headquarters in Seattle even as staff members drawn from the top ranks of government health agencies and the pharmaceutical industry worked to muster a response to the deadly, rapidly spreading new coronavirus.

And as Bill Gates' public profile during the pandemic grew, so did spurious conspiracy theories such as that the global immunization effort was a cover for him to implant microchips to track people, blatantly false but still damaging as misinformation increased vaccine hesitancy.

Then Gates’ father, Bill Gates Sr., also a foundation co-chair, died in September. The elder Gates had initially taken the lead on his son’s charitable endeavors while the younger Gates was still at the helm of Microsoft. Bill Gates Sr. was viewed by many as a calm voice and a moral compass within the organization, even as he had stepped back in recent years.

The third trustee, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, turned 90 last year and has begun to discuss succession plans at his company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Morey said the recent changes could also present an opportunity to create a large, diverse board while increasing visibility into the foundation’s decision-making. “Part of the anxiety is coming from the lack of transparency in the day-to-day activities of the Gates Foundation,” she said.

The Gateses had faced struggles in their marriage in recent years and even moments where it neared collapse, according to people close to them. Now that they have made the rupture formal and legal, many in their orbit are scrambling to try to figure out what that means for the foundation. Some are concerned that Melinda Gates will put more effort into Pivotal Ventures while Bill Gates spends even more time on his own private office, Gates Ventures. Others describe such fears as overblown.

“Bill and Melinda have always had their separate ventures. They’ve each always spent time on that and spent time on their foundation,” said Greg Ratliff, senior vice president at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who worked at the Gates Foundation for a decade. “It’s going to continue to be a great, influential foundation, and each of them individually will be as influential as I think they were collectively.”

While it seems clear that the foundation will move forward with its vast resources, there remains the question of the Gates fortune, which Forbes estimates at $124 billion. The divorce won’t affect the money that has already been given to the foundation trust, but the couple may devote less money to it over time than they would have if they had stayed together.

“People are right to feel unmoored in terms of the direction of the foundation,” said Tompkins-Stange of the University of Michigan. “There’s a lot of ambiguity, as there might be in any divorce situation, but they seem committed to co-parenting the foundation.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started with ambitions that, by its lofty standards today, appear almost quaint: providing free internet access to public libraries in the United States.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started with ambitions that, by its lofty standards today, appear almost quaint: providing free internet access to public libraries in the United States. As its founders’ objectives grew in scope, so did the foundation’s reach, until it achieved its current position as the preeminent private institution in global public health. With 1,600 staff members directing $5 billion in annual grants to 135 countries around the globe, the Gates Foundation set a new standard for private philanthropy in the 21st century. All of that was thrown into question Monday when the world learned that the foundation’s co-chairs, who had been married for 27 years, filed for divorce in Washington state. Grant recipients and staff members alike wondered what would happen and whether it might affect the mission. The message from the headquarters in Seattle was clear: Bill and Melinda Gates may be splitting up, but the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation isn’t going anywhere. Their roles as co-chairs and trustees are not changing, and they will still set the agenda for the organization that bears their names. In an email Monday, the Gates Foundation’s chief executive, Mark Suzman, reassured the staff that both Bill and Melinda Gates remained committed to the organization. While noting that it was “obviously a difficult time of personal change for” the couple, Suzman added that “Bill and Melinda asked me explicitly to express their deep gratitude for everything you do every day, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as for your support and understanding in this difficult time.” The foundation’s $50 billion endowment is in a charitable trust that is irrevocable. It cannot be removed or divided up as a marital asset, said Megan Tompkins-Stange, a professor of public policy and scholar of philanthropy at the University of Michigan. She noted, however, that there was no legal mandate that would prevent them from changing course. “I think there may be changes to come,” she said. “But I don’t see it as a big asteroid landing on the field of philanthropy as some of the hyperbole around this has indicated.” Bill Gates has been an object of fascination in the United States almost from the moment he came on the scene as a founder of Microsoft, the prototypical computer genius turned entrepreneur, the nerdy foil to Steve Jobs and his black turtlenecks and arty designs. He became the richest man in the world, and with the Justice Department’s 1998 antitrust case against Microsoft, he was heralded as the new John D. Rockefeller, for better and worse. But in the decades since, he has transformed his image through the work he and Melinda Gates jointly pursued with the foundation, becoming best known for his generosity rather than his ruthlessness in business. The nearly $55 billion that the Gates Foundation has given away also gave the couple instant access to heads of state and leaders of industry. Melinda Gates has had her own growing profile, both through her work for the foundation as well as her firm, Pivotal Ventures, which she has used since 2015 to invest in causes related to women’s economic empowerment. Some observers noted that Gates had added her maiden name, French, to her Twitter profile. The couple deployed their connections last year in response to the pandemic, calling leaders like Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi to drum up support for their plans. The foundation has committed $1.75 billion so far to its COVID-19 response and played a key role in shaping the global deal to bring vaccines to poor countries. That prominence has also brought a fair share of scrutiny, throwing a spotlight on Bill Gates’ robust defense of intellectual property rights — in this case, specific to vaccine patents — even in a time of extreme crisis, as well as the larger question of how unelected wealthy individuals can play such an outsize part on the global stage. “In a civil society that is democratic, one couple’s personal choices shouldn’t lead university research centers, service providers and nonprofits to really question whether they’ll be able to continue,” said Maribel Morey, founding executive director of the Miami Institute for the Social Sciences. Melinda Gates filed the petition for divorce Monday in Superior Court in King County, Washington, calling the marriage “irretrievably broken” and asking the court to dissolve it. In her filing, Gates said the couple were already separated. She signed the form in Bellevue, Washington, and Bill Gates signed his part in Palm Desert, California, near where they own a home. The petition said the couple had a separation contract in place. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show transfers on Monday of millions of shares of Canadian National Railway and AutoNation worth a combined $1.8 billion to Melinda Gates from Cascade Investment, a holding company for Bill Gates. An enormous fortune by almost any standard, the $1.8 billion is less than 2% of the Forbes estimate of Bill Gates’ total worth and presumably just one small step in the ultimate division of the couple’s marital assets. The transfers were reported earlier by Bloomberg. Before the news of the divorce broke, the Gates Foundation had been in the midst of a period of upheaval. The pandemic shuttered its headquarters in Seattle even as staff members drawn from the top ranks of government health agencies and the pharmaceutical industry worked to muster a response to the deadly, rapidly spreading new coronavirus. And as Bill Gates' public profile during the pandemic grew, so did spurious conspiracy theories such as that the global immunization effort was a cover for him to implant microchips to track people, blatantly false but still damaging as misinformation increased vaccine hesitancy. Then Gates’ father, Bill Gates Sr., also a foundation co-chair, died in September. The elder Gates had initially taken the lead on his son’s charitable endeavors while the younger Gates was still at the helm of Microsoft. Bill Gates Sr. was viewed by many as a calm voice and a moral compass within the organization, even as he had stepped back in recent years. The third trustee, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, turned 90 last year and has begun to discuss succession plans at his company, Berkshire Hathaway. Morey said the recent changes could also present an opportunity to create a large, diverse board while increasing visibility into the foundation’s decision-making. “Part of the anxiety is coming from the lack of transparency in the day-to-day activities of the Gates Foundation,” she said. The Gateses had faced struggles in their marriage in recent years and even moments where it neared collapse, according to people close to them. Now that they have made the rupture formal and legal, many in their orbit are scrambling to try to figure out what that means for the foundation. Some are concerned that Melinda Gates will put more effort into Pivotal Ventures while Bill Gates spends even more time on his own private office, Gates Ventures. Others describe such fears as overblown. “Bill and Melinda have always had their separate ventures. They’ve each always spent time on that and spent time on their foundation,” said Greg Ratliff, senior vice president at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who worked at the Gates Foundation for a decade. “It’s going to continue to be a great, influential foundation, and each of them individually will be as influential as I think they were collectively.” While it seems clear that the foundation will move forward with its vast resources, there remains the question of the Gates fortune, which Forbes estimates at $124 billion. The divorce won’t affect the money that has already been given to the foundation trust, but the couple may devote less money to it over time than they would have if they had stayed together. “People are right to feel unmoored in terms of the direction of the foundation,” said Tompkins-Stange of the University of Michigan. “There’s a lot of ambiguity, as there might be in any divorce situation, but they seem committed to co-parenting the foundation.”

What the Gates divorce means for the Gates Foundation

Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, and his wife Melinda have announced their divorce after 27 years marriage, saying "we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple". The billionaire couple have three children and jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Bill and Melinda Gates split up after 27 years of marriage

Dismissed a decade ago as far-fetched and dangerous, schemes to tame the effects of global warming by engineering the climate have migrated from the margins of policy debates towards centre stage.

"Plan A" refers to solving&nbsp;the problem at its source. But the UN's top climate science body has made it clear that slashing carbon pollution won't be enough to keep Earth from overheating. That has opened the door to a host of&nbsp;geoengineering&nbsp;schemes, from building underwater walls to shore up an Antarctic glacier the size of Britain to injecting a giant sunscreen into the stratosphere.

Here is a menu of "Plan B"&nbsp;geoengineering&nbsp;solutions, along with their potential drawbacks:

Direct CO2 capture&nbsp;

Experiments have shown it is possible to suck planet-warming carbon dioxide directly from the air, converting it into fuel pellets or storing it underground.

A company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates launched a pilot facility in Canada in 2015, and another company operates one in Iceland.

Drawback: The technology is currently prohibitively expensive and might take decades to operate at scale.

Solar radiation management

Unlike other strategies, solar radiation management does not target CO2. The goal is simple: prevent some of the sun's rays from hitting the planet's surface, forcing them back up into space.

One idea is to inject or spray tiny reflective particles into the stratosphere, possibly with balloons, aircraft or through giant tubes.

Nature sometimes does the same: Debris from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines lowered the planet's average surface temperature for a year or two afterwards.

Sixty-six million years ago, a ten-kilometre wide asteroid strike threw up so much debris that it wiped out land-based dinosaurs built for steamy tropical climes.&nbsp;

In April, a balloon test flight in Sweden for the Harvard-led project SCoPEx, short for "Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment", was postponed amid concerns over the implications for the environment and people in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Australia, trials of a controversial technique to spray microscopic salt crystals into the air above the threatened Great Barrier Reef to make the clouds brighter began last year.&nbsp;

Australian scientists say if successful and combined with other climate and protection measures this could help slow the decline of the reef.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Afforestation

Extensive planting of trees could significantly slow the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, which currently stands at more than 510 parts per million, 50 per cent more than 150 years ago.

Drawback: Even if deforestation could be reversed, more than 100,000 square kilometres of tropical forests have disappeared each year since 2013,&nbsp;the huge number of trees needed to put a dent in CO2 emissions would clash with food and biofuel crops.

BECCS&nbsp;

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) marries a natural process with a high-tech one.&nbsp;

The first step is to plant rapeseed, sugarcane, corn or "2nd-generation" biofuel crops such as switchgrass, which pull CO2 from the air while growing. The second step is while burning the harvested plants for energy to sequester the CO2 produced.

In theory, the result is less CO2 in the atmosphere than when the process started. Virtually all climate change models projecting a future consistent with the Paris Agreement's temperature targets assume a key role for BECCS.

Drawback: Studies calculate that up to twice the area of India would need to be given over to biofuels, putting BECCS in conflict with food crops. Such schemes would also require vast amounts of freshwater.

Ocean fertilisation&nbsp;

Microscopic ocean plants called phytoplankton gobble up CO2 and drag it to the bottom of the ocean when they die. Their colony size is limited by a lack of natural iron, but experiments have shown that sowing the ocean with iron sulphate powder creates large blooms.

Drawbacks: Scientists worry about unintended impacts. Die-offs of plankton, for example, use up oxygen, which could create massive "dead zones" in the oceans, something already on the rise.

Enhanced weathering&nbsp;

Natural weathering of rocks removes about one billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, about two per cent of total man-made C02 emissions.&nbsp;

Spreading a powdered form of a greenish iron silicate called olivine across certain landscapes can mimic that process, experiments have shown.

Drawbacks: It would be expensive to mine and mill enough olivine to make a difference.

Biochar&nbsp;

Biochar is charcoal made by heating plant waste, rice straw, peanut shells, wood scraps, over long periods in low-oxygen conditions. It can store CO2 for long periods, and also enriches soil.

Drawback: The scientific jury is still out on how quickly this method could be scaled up, and on the stability of biochar used as a fertiliser.

(With inputs from agencies)

Dismissed a decade ago as far-fetched and dangerous, schemes to tame the effects of global warming by engineering the climate have migrated from the margins of policy debates towards centre stage.

Dismissed a decade ago as far-fetched and dangerous, schemes to tame the effects of global warming by engineering the climate have migrated from the margins of policy debates towards centre stage. "Plan A" refers to solving the problem at its source. But the UN's top climate science body has made it clear that slashing carbon pollution won't be enough to keep Earth from overheating. That has opened the door to a host of geoengineering schemes, from building underwater walls to shore up an Antarctic glacier the size of Britain to injecting a giant sunscreen into the stratosphere. Here is a menu of "Plan B" geoengineering solutions, along with their potential drawbacks: Direct CO2 capture Experiments have shown it is possible to suck planet-warming carbon dioxide directly from the air, converting it into fuel pellets or storing it underground. A company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates launched a pilot facility in Canada in 2015, and another company operates one in Iceland. Drawback: The technology is currently prohibitively expensive and might take decades to operate at scale. Solar radiation management Unlike other strategies, solar radiation management does not target CO2. The goal is simple: prevent some of the sun's rays from hitting the planet's surface, forcing them back up into space. One idea is to inject or spray tiny reflective particles into the stratosphere, possibly with balloons, aircraft or through giant tubes. Nature sometimes does the same: Debris from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines lowered the planet's average surface temperature for a year or two afterwards. Sixty-six million years ago, a ten-kilometre wide asteroid strike threw up so much debris that it wiped out land-based dinosaurs built for steamy tropical climes. In April, a balloon test flight in Sweden for the Harvard-led project SCoPEx, short for "Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment", was postponed amid concerns over the implications for the environment and people in the country. In Australia, trials of a controversial technique to spray microscopic salt crystals into the air above the threatened Great Barrier Reef to make the clouds brighter began last year. Australian scientists say if successful and combined with other climate and protection measures this could help slow the decline of the reef. Afforestation Extensive planting of trees could significantly slow the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, which currently stands at more than 510 parts per million, 50 per cent more than 150 years ago. Drawback: Even if deforestation could be reversed, more than 100,000 square kilometres of tropical forests have disappeared each year since 2013, the huge number of trees needed to put a dent in CO2 emissions would clash with food and biofuel crops. BECCS Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) marries a natural process with a high-tech one. The first step is to plant rapeseed, sugarcane, corn or "2nd-generation" biofuel crops such as switchgrass, which pull CO2 from the air while growing. The second step is while burning the harvested plants for energy to sequester the CO2 produced. In theory, the result is less CO2 in the atmosphere than when the process started. Virtually all climate change models projecting a future consistent with the Paris Agreement's temperature targets assume a key role for BECCS. Drawback: Studies calculate that up to twice the area of India would need to be given over to biofuels, putting BECCS in conflict with food crops. Such schemes would also require vast amounts of freshwater. Ocean fertilisation Microscopic ocean plants called phytoplankton gobble up CO2 and drag it to the bottom of the ocean when they die. Their colony size is limited by a lack of natural iron, but experiments have shown that sowing the ocean with iron sulphate powder creates large blooms. Drawbacks: Scientists worry about unintended impacts. Die-offs of plankton, for example, use up oxygen, which could create massive "dead zones" in the oceans, something already on the rise. Enhanced weathering Natural weathering of rocks removes about one billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, about two per cent of total man-made C02 emissions. Spreading a powdered form of a greenish iron silicate called olivine across certain landscapes can mimic that process, experiments have shown. Drawbacks: It would be expensive to mine and mill enough olivine to make a difference. Biochar Biochar is charcoal made by heating plant waste, rice straw, peanut shells, wood scraps, over long periods in low-oxygen conditions. It can store CO2 for long periods, and also enriches soil. Drawback: The scientific jury is still out on how quickly this method could be scaled up, and on the stability of biochar used as a fertiliser. (With inputs from agencies)

Here are some climate engineering schemes that can act as 'Plan B' for Earth

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