Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Bill Gates to Receive Honorary UK Knighthood

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the all-it-takes-is-to-make-billions-of-dollars dept.

jolyon writes "Yahoo is reporting that Bill Gates will receive his honorary UK knighthood on Wednesday. He doesn't get to call himself 'Sir' though. He becomes a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire."

6 of 743 comments (clear)

  1. Douglas Adams quote by shades6666 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "The idea that Bill Gates has appeared like a knight in shining armour to lead all customers out of a mire of technological chaos neatly ignores the fact that it was he who, by peddling second-rate technology, led them into it in the first place." (Douglas Adams)

    Now all he needs is the shining armour :-)

  2. Re:Well.... by Brian+Blessed · · Score: 4, Interesting

    he has done wonderful things through his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation

    Here's a question:

    If a criminal gives a small proportion of his ill-gotten gains to good causes, does he deserve an award?

    - Brian.

  3. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 by hey! · · Score: 5, Interesting

    of the US constitution:

    No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

    (emphasis mine)

    So, Mr. Bill could be Sir Bill if he can get Congress to pass a bill giving him permnission to receive it. As it is, he can only receive the "honorary" honour, so to speak.

    Recent American KBE's (according to my friend Google) include Tommy Franks, Alan Greenspan, Wesley Clark and Andres Previn. Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, a KCB, which IIRC is more exclusive. Of course, Reagan, Bush the First and Cap Weinberger got GCBs, which is a more exclusive degree than KCB.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  4. Re:DOJhood! by Billy+Donahue · · Score: 3, Interesting


    Americans don't kneel to any so-called "sovereign".
    Friggin' disgrace he is.

    --
    -- The Funk, The Whole Funk, And Nothing But The Funk
  5. Re:Pah.... by identity0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hah! In honor of this occasion, I shall make a rap song, to the tune of mc chris's "Fette's Vette":

    "Runtime exception, In windows explorer

    Hit ctrl-alt-del to restart your session

    Problem has stumped nerdy computer geeks,
    even if they thought they was leet!

    Reformat!
    C: fried!
    Hackers gettin past your firewall, no sweat!

    They gotta have your boxxor to roxxor with botnets

    My Name is The Gates;
    My bank account got yo checks;
    I monopolize for Melinda Gates, to pay off Viagra debts."

    Okay, I gotta go get lunch. Someone else finish this : )

  6. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Of the Constitution states:

    No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

    Office of profit? Perhaps that means someone who controls vast amounts of money.

    Does this deny, and make unconstitutional Bill Gates's "reward"?

    --