NEW DELHI — Ravi Venkatesan, who used to be the chairman of Microsoft India, recently told a funny and interesting anecdote about his time at the computer company. It was about a remarkable meeting he had with Bill Gates, one of the company’s founders. In a podcast with Shrishti Sahu, Venkatesan talked about the night he won a small fight with Gates and got a one-of-a-kind gift to remember it by: a $1 bill signed by Gates himself.
Bill and Melinda Gates were in India when the event happened, which was approximately 2006–2007. The three of them got aboard a flight from Delhi to Chennai after a long and tiring day. Around 11:30 PM, the two men got into a “silly argument.”
We had a ridiculous fight because Bill wasn’t in a good mood. People usually back down, but I was exhausted too and thought, “So what if he’s Bill Gates?” Venkatesan said.
Even though it was late and both sides were tired, Venkatesan stood firm and wouldn’t back down from his argument. Gates finally gave up after what he called a half-hour of back-and-forth.
“Okay, I guess you’re right,” Gates remarked, agreeing with Venkatesan.
At this point, Melinda Gates came in and playfully gave her husband a dollar bill, telling him to sign it. Gates did what he was asked and wrote the now-famous line, “I was wrong, Bill Gates,” before giving the bill to Venkatesan.
Venkatesan’s signed $1 bill is one of his most prized belongings today. He keeps it beautifully framed and calls it his “retirement plan” as a joke. It’s a treasured reminder of a rare time when he out-argued one of the smartest and most powerful people in the world.
Bill Gates is noted for his unending vision and creativity that changed the world of personal computers. He co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975. He was CEO until 2000, and then he turned his attention to global health and education through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This solidified his place in history as one of the most important people in the world.