In a not-so-shocking turn of events, it’s come to light that the co-founder and former president of Microsoft, Bill Gates, shared several inappropriate emails and encounters with female employees. Gates was asked to step down from his position in 2020 by fellow board members amid an investigation into a relationship he shared with a Microsoft employee. There has been more than one incident between Gates and female employees.
In 2007, the Microsoft board became aware of an exchange of emails between Gates and a mid-level female employee. Frank Shaw, the Microsoft spokesperson, revealed that although no sexual matter was discussed, the emails were flirtatious and deemed inappropriate. In the emails, Gate proposed that he and the woman meet outside of work. According to Shaw, this employee filed no formal report regarding Gates’ behavior. Two prominent Microsoft executives at the time, General Counsel Brad Smith and Chief People Officer Lisa Brummel, had a discussion with Gates about the inappropriate nature of his actions. Gates agreed to stop the exchanges.
A decade later, in 2019, the Microsoft board hired a law firm to investigate a letter submitted by a female employee, where she alleged she and Gates had a prior relationship. Mr. Shaw reported that the relationship took place in 2002, but the board was unaware of it until 2019. John W. Thompson, the Microsoft board chair at the time, asked the rest of the board members reviewing the letter not to share any information about it because of its sensitive nature. Following the decision of other board members that Gates needed to step away from the company, he relinquished his board seat.
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