We often introduce the world’s richest men through the empires they founded, but that’s rarely the whole story. Mention Bill Gates, and the words ‘Microsoft cofounder’ usually follow close behind. Still, that prefix barely captures the man behind the tech empire. The billionaire, worth $177 billion today, has maintained this status for the better part of his life; it certainly coincided with the birth of his daughter Jennifer Gates.
Despite being a billionaire who was the world’s second richest man in the 1990s, he was never the absent dad. In fact, if there is a poster boy in Silicon Valley for being the most present father among his counterparts, Gates would shine.
Highlighting the role he played in his kids’ early and formative years was a sweet incident revolving around the U2 concert. Not just any concert, it was U2’s massive 360° Tour stop at Seattle’s Qwest Field, a sold-out stadium spectacle on June 4, 2011. More than 70,000 fans packed the venue that evening, and among them was the billionaire, his equestrian daughter Jennifer, and her friends. Not in a chauffeur-driven fleet of cars and bodyguards, this doting dad escorted his oldest offspring and her gang himself in the family minivan.
Not many know of the friendship between the geeky father of three and the leather-clad frontman of U2 and one of rock music’s most enduring voices. Their camaraderie stemmed from a common passion for philanthropy and began in 2005 after they shared the cover of Time magazine along with Melinda Gates. About the concert, the business magnate said, “We went to the concert with my daughter and three of her friends, so there were six of us and we took the minivan. I drove.”
On being asked if the Grammy-winning singer invited them backstage, Gates clarified, “Umm, no, actually, he stayed at our house.” Amazing, right? But despite the star of the concert staying at Gates’ $130 million Washington mansion Xanadu 2.0, Jennifer and her friends, along with their driver worth billions, were among thousands of fans and blended in with the crowd. During the encore, Bono took a moment to single out Seattle’s most famous couple for a heartfelt public tribute. “Bill & Melinda are a couple who have changed the world. And they have changed my life,” the singer proclaimed to roaring applause.
This is a 66,000-square-foot estate in Medina, Washington, a high-tech marvel that is equal parts lavish, fun, and crazy. The fun bits include a 2,500-square-foot gym with a trampoline room, a 2,100-square-foot library with a dome-shaped roof, and a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system. The technical features flaunt a sophisticated sensor system that adjusts temperature, lighting, and music based on guest preferences. And the crazy details are owing to artificial streams and an estuary system, as well as sand imported from the Caribbean for a private beach on the property. No ordinary home, Xanadu 2.0’s construction took seven years and cost $63 million.
Bono and Bill, the odd pairing of the geek and the rock icon
Yes, it is true, Bill Gates has described himself as a genuine fan of the band. He even revealed that a U2 song, One, would be among the tracks he’d take to a desert island. But what got the duo together was not music, but philanthropy. The start was a bit rocky, though, as initially Gates showed no interest in meeting with Bono, according to mutual friend Paul Allen. He said Gates was dismissive and supposedly joked, “No, I don’t want to meet him! It’s Sonny Bono, or whatever.” It was during the World Economic Forum meeting in New York that the two finally sat down together.
That stage served as the perfect platform for Gates to learn of Bono’s knowledge and commitment to humanitarian causes. “I was kind of amazed that he actually knew what he was talking about and had a real commitment to making things happen. It was phenomenal,” Gates recalled. “Ever since then we’ve been big partners in crime.”
That was the bedrock for an unusual friendship laced in good intentions and shared passions. Not only Bill Gates, but the Gates family were big fans. The kids grew up with U2’s music not just as background music at home, but got to know them well, as the family even hosted the entire band U2 for lunch one day in 2005.
