As part of my gig with Microsoft Research, all of us interred here in Redmond for the summer were invited to a BBQ at Bill Gates’ home. We arrived on shuttle buses after being stripped of all cell phones, cameras, metal objects, even pens. It’s ironic that the man who amassed a fortune selling technology has discovered that it completely threatens his privacy and personal well-being. We didn’t get to see most of the house, but did come down the grand staircase on our way out to the back yard by Lake Washington. Dinner was hamburgers, with a chicken option. And Bill came down to mingle and answer questions for over an hour. Pleasant and surreal.
Here’s some more info on the house from Evan Carmichael’s site:
“Everything about the home is large, from its eight bedrooms and four building levels, to its 2,100 square foot library and 1,500 square foot theatre. It has a 17 x 60 foot swimming pool with an underwater music system and a glass wall you can swim under to get to the terrace outside. It also has a 2,500 square foot exercise room, a 1,000 square foot formal dining room, a guest house, an underground garage, a grand staircase, and offices, as well as an elevator and an estuary replete with salmon and trout.”
Oh, and those gray grids on the end of his dock? They’re for landing helicopters, which apparently is something he avoids doing because it stresses the neighbors. We saw ducks and a beautiful heron on the property. The heron flew in from the lake and hung out by a little pond, blissfully unaware of his host.