What Is Bill Gates's Email Address?

You actually can email Bill Gates, and he might even respond

When Bill Gates ran Microsoft, his email address was publicly available as bill.gates@microsoft.com.

On July 16, 1982, a new local area network connected all of the development machines in the Microsoft offices. Called the MILAN, this system brought a new, improved email system to the company. As in today's businesses, email addresses were assigned by name, with Bill's being billg. This username later developed into his old email address; however, the address is no longer valid.

After leaving Microsoft, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda (now ex-wife) went on to found and co-chair the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To contact the foundation, fill in the contact form on its website. You might also try emailing info@gatesfoundation.org and bill.gates@gatesfoundation.com.

Does Bill Gates Reply to Emails From Strangers?

A few people have reported getting quick responses from Gates over the years.

Melinda and Bill Gates attend a session at the Congress Center during the World Economic Forum
 FABRICE COFFRINI / Getty Images 

Though not as common as Steve Jobs' emails were, a few of Gates' email replies have been made public.

  • A 2003 email from Gates regarding a critique of "Windows Usability" shows how detailed Gates is when encountering issues with Microsoft's products. As Gates himself admitted, this behavior is not uncommon, and addressing it should be part of his job.
  • In 1994, author John Seabrook had a lengthy email correspondence while working on a story for The New Yorker. That form of communication was still in its infancy, and the conversation focused on its importance. In it, Gates made some profound predictions. His advice for keeping calm when using it is great advice to this day: "Email is not a good way to get mad at someone since you can’t interact."

More Information on Contacting Bill Gates

You can follow the former Microsoft CEO on his blog at GatesNotes.com to keep up with his latest work.

Bill Gates occasionally converses with the public through Reddit, such as in this "Ask Me Anything" thread. Although you can send a private message to Bill Gates on Reddit through his carefully chosen username thisisbillgates, it's unlikely that he'll respond.

Surprisingly, Bill Gates does not get as many emails as you might think. He told US Today in 2013 that he only receives about "40 or 50 emails a day."

The Bill Gates Email Scam

If you get an email from Bill Gates stating that he wants to give you money, it's a scam. Scammer commonly use big names such as his to grab your attention in hopes of getting your money, and this one has been circulating for years.

Gates is known for his philanthropy, but that doesn't mean he sends random people emails offering millions of dollars.

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