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Gates Gets Government Guards for Gala

Nick Irelan writes "The home of the world's richest man was a 'temporary security zone' when he held a party for members of the National Governors Association. Bill's guests included Newt Gingrich, Tommy Thompson, and Leon Panetta. Gates also put in $150,000 for the governors' meeting held the next day. News.com covered this story very well." If your invitation to Gates' place got "lost in the mail", you can read about a Microsoft intern who got to have dinner with the big cheese.

11 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. The richest? by yebb · · Score: 5, Informative

    I thought the owner of IKEA was now worth more than Gates.

    1. Re:The richest? by complex · · Score: 1, Informative
    2. Re:The richest? by Sunspire · · Score: 2, Informative

      The IKEA owner Ingvar Kamprad did overtake Gates back in April, but since the dollar has strengthened slightly since then it's hard to say who's richer at the moment.

      --
      It's like deja vu all over again.
    3. Re:The richest? by Chess_the_cat · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, it isn't. CNN discredited this story.

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      Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
  2. Re:In all fairness..... by tazanator · · Score: 4, Informative

    having done work in that area, it's pretty much a standing rule, the secret sevice takes over all security when present in the US. At the olympics in Ga 1996 they had special badges and ALL security was told to stay out of their way and follow the orders from them above any other orders you may get.

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    I'm told you are what you eat, does that mean I can be you by tomorrow with some A1?
  3. Re:Potential by andrew_0812 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I doubt even Gates would be able to command use of government security for personal reasons.

    I don't think homeland security intervention was at all justified.

    It is justified if high ranking government officials show up. They are there to protect the government officials, Not Gates, or Gates' family, or Gates' property. Gates has his own security team who do that. Any time high ranking government officials go to anything like this, they bring their own security. And their security takes charge over whatever normal security personnel are at the site.

    No FUD to see here, move along...

  4. Re:In all fairness..... by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 3, Informative

    Apparently, this is how Bill tries to separate the wheat from the chaff; he attacks your idea (and you) and expects you to defend it, if it's worth defending.

    I've read accounts where Microsoft has taken massive risks on the basis of a single engineer shooting back at Bill and defending an idea.

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    Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  5. The Big Cheese by jpu8086 · · Score: 2, Informative

    How Bill Gates came to be known as the big cheese (story includes the trouble that follows).

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    now supporting:
    cmdrTaco for president '04
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  6. Re:Human after all? by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 2, Informative

    Astrotufing sounds and feels like an internet-myth. Got a real, proven case of it?

    Sure. There are many confessed ex-astroturfers. There's a continum from traditional product-sponsorship to non-celebrity product placement (college hotties paid to show off their new camera phones in the top clubs) down through to anonymous, non-copywritten advocacy. To them, it's all just marketing, and there are no qualms to spilling the beans once the contract is over (unless the contract went further, of course)

    More interesting to you might be the proven case of Microsoft astroturfing, which was back in 1998, just when they needed the appearance of grateful computer-users to help them out at the Supreme Court. They sponsored the creation of the Freedom to Innovate Network, which back then was not hosted on microsoft.com, nor labelled as professional. That same crew plugged their site on BBSes like this. They were caught doing it then... it's easy to assume that they've continued, but are now too skilled to be easily caught.

    Also, this website records falsehoods that were widely considered akin to astroturfing.

  7. Re:Eyeball Bill's house at cryptome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Another eyeball featuring all known photos of Gates estate is here.

  8. Re:I've argued ... $650,000 ransom ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It was Bill Joy who helped arrange the money to pay for his co counder who was kidnapped in Adobe parking lot in 1992.

    Even after 1992 Bill Gates refused anti-kidnap security detail.

    here are the facts of the kidnapping of co founder of adobe :

    Charles (Chuck) Geschke, co-founder of Silicon Valley software giant Adobe Corp was kidnapped. It was a sensational kidnap at gunpoint in the Adobe's parking lot by two men who demanded $650,000 ransom from the Geschke family. The ransom money was paid, but Geschke, who had been held blindfolded and shackled in a "safe house" closet for a week, was later rescued by the FBI and the money recovered. The kidnappers, both from Middle Eastern countries and suspected as part of a larger ring, were arrested and given long prison sentences in the 1992 incident that drew national attention.