World’s richest man, Bill Gates has revealed the two ‘craziest’ purchases he ever made.
The Microsoft co-founder is not known to be a flamboyant spender in a world of billionaires acquiring super cars, giga yachts, expensive aircraft, space shuttles and the like.
However, Gates, who officially became a billionaire at 31, the youngest in history at the time, revealed in an interview published by Business Insider, what his two ‘craziest’ purchases were.
“I don’t have many things that are extravagant taste, so it didn’t change too much,” he said, stressing that his major concern at the time was being able to pay the salaries of his staff to enable them cater for their families.
“ So , you didn’ t say ‘ Oh I’ m going to buy a Porsche ?’” he was asked .
“ I did — that I did , ” Gates said . “ That was an indulgence , and then eventually for my travel , I got a plane , which is a huge indulgence , so those are my two . ”
“ So , you have a Porsche and a plane and that ’ s it ?” he was asked .
“ In terms of crazy things, yes, ” he said .
Gates’s plane is widely reported to be a Bombardier BD – 700 Global Express with seating for up to 19 people.
He reportedly bought the aircraft for $40 million.
According to Forbes, Gates’s fortune is estimated at $91.6 billion in 2018.
As the co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a large chunk of the billionaire’s fortune is dedicated to charity, with the foundation expending over $2 billion on global health, development, and education causes in 2016 alone.