Like millions of people around the world, Bill Gates’ work ethic changed dramatically because of the coronavirus. The billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft has worked from his home in Seattle.
The biggest day-to-day change for Gates? Less travel. “I traveled a lot” for his work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he said during an interview on Monday’s podcast “Get Wired.”
Initially, Gates was concerned that working from home would hinder his personal output, and what the teams at the foundation and Microsoft could achieve.
“When we told all these employees not to come into the office, I thought the loss of productivity would actually be a little higher than it has been,” Gates said. “Overall, the productivity penalty for office work, including software engineering, has been much less than I would have expected.”
And he himself is “able to get a lot done,” he said.
Gates also said his kids have spent more time at home, “which, at least for me, is a fun thing,” he said.
Gates has three children with his wife Melinda: Jennifer, 24; Rory, 21, and Phoebe, 17. With all the children under one roof, “we had to be pretty strict about exactly what the kids were doing” to make sure they all followed the proper safety protocol, he told Business Insider in July.
Although many people have taken to cooking or baking extensive meals while at home in quarantine, Gates does not.
“I microbe more food, and I know you pretty well about it,” he told Wired.
In the past, Gates has said he is not a great cook.
“Because I never learned how to make a healthy meal for myself, I ended up eating a lot more fast food than I should have – especially when I was young and early in my career,” he wrote. in a blog post in August 2019 In the early days of Microsoft, when he was particularly focused, he would eat nothing but the orange powder drink mix called Tang to save time.
Reading has been a welcome distraction and way to pass the time during social distance, Gates wrote in a blog post in May. He and Melinda also watch TV shows together, such as ABC’s “A Million Little Things,” NBC’s “This Is Us” and Netflix’s “Ozark.”
Gates also plays online bridge with his longtime friend Warren Buffett. He recommends the digital platform Bridge Base if you want to learn how to play.
In terms of physical activity, Gates has also played safe tennis again, he told Business Insider. “We do not go near each other, so even that is done in a fairly specialized way,” he said. It is generally safe to play tennis as long as you stay outside, wear a mask and do not avoid or share balls.
When Gates goes for a walk, he always wears a surgical mask. “I see, in my neighborhood there is almost no one we have walked through who does not wear their mask,” he said.
Of course, Gates acknowledges that he has the privilege of having such a comfortable situation during the pandemic.
“Relatively for people who have a small home, with many children, do not have a good internet connection. The pandemic is unfortunately less painful for those who are better off for the pandemic,” he said. “There have been a lot of pluses to go with the minuses.”
To date, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has allocated more than $ 350 million to support the global response to Covid-19.
To pay: The best credit cards of 2020 could earn you over $ 1000 in 5 years
Do not miss:
.
