The Bizarre Things You'll Find In Bill Gates' Home
Bill Gates may have plans to stop being one of the world's wealthiest people, but that doesn't mean his home isn't packed with the bizarre kinds of things only uber-rich tech geniuses can dream of.
Interest in Gates' Seattle home stems way back to the '90s. Construction on the behemoth began in 1990, and stretched on for a whopping seven years, and it was only in 1997 that he, his then-wife Melinda Gates, and their eldest daughter Jennifer Gates finally moved in. Shortly before the official move-in date, The Washington Post reported on a dinner party that had taken place at the lake house a few months prior, and revealed some of the details about the interior. Those included a gigantic events hall, a library, a spa, a gym, and naturally, some seriously high-tech features.
From walls clad in screens to speakers in the pool, the Microsoft founder's mansion was kitted out to be the house of the future — and in his 1995 book "The Road Ahead," he shared that he was still planning on further advancements. One of those included a pin system, which would entail anyone in the house wearing a badge sharing personal information and current location. That would allow each person to walk into a room and have lights automatically switched on, or to have their favorite song play wherever they were in the house. TBD if that ever panned out. However, from what we do know about the house, it's pretty epic regardless.
Obviously, Bill Gates' home is full of screens
These days, it's not exactly uncommon to walk into a room filled with screens, let alone for them to feature art. However, back in the '90s, Bill Gates was the first to do it.
Back in 1991, The Seattle Times wrote that Gates was planning on using technology to show well-known artworks throughout his home. By 1997, when The Washington Post wrote about the completed mansion, he'd already done just that. According to the outlet, just one room in the house (admittedly, the room was a big one, accommodating 100 people with ease) had a feature wall covered in a whopping 24 screens. Of course, there were also additional screens throughout the rest of the home. The common theme, though, is that they were used to showcase famous art.
While it would still be unlikely to have quite as many screens in a home for the average person, Gates' decision to incorporate them into his space is no longer quite as unique — and something tells us he's not exactly unhappy about that. In "The Road Ahead," he wrote that he hoped the world would get to a place where that was the norm. "I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the system that I've put in my house. The systems will probably even be bigger and better than the ones I've put in today," he said at the time. Mission (sorta) accomplished!
The high tech house also has a trampoline room
Unfortunately, not much else is known about how the tech in Bill Gates' home has evolved over the years — though we have no doubts he's continued to push the envelope. One thing that might come as a major surprise to many, though, is that in addition to the tech, Gates also has a dedicated trampoline room.
Back in the '90s, The Washington Post had mentioned Gates' trampoline room. In 2019, the man himself shared some more details about the space. In a Reddit Q&A, Gates shared that it was one of his most extravagant expenses, in addition to his private jet. Of the space, he explained, "[It] seems kind of over the top but my kids love using it to work off their excess energy." Well, in a house with that much tech, it makes sense that regular attempts at curbing the Gates children's screen time just wouldn't do the job.
As for the other fun zones in the tech billionaire's home, he's got the standard one percenter fare down, with a movie theatre and a games arcade. And, while he's on a mission to give most of his money to philanthropic causes these days, he's pretty pleased with his abode. As he said in the Reddit Q&A, "I am not sure how guilty I should feel about being in a great house." To be honest, we get it.