Bill Gates spent years carefully cultivating a philanthropic public image, but it is beginning to crack under growing scrutiny of how that image was built.
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal published an exposé detailing how the billionaire’s Mister Rogers-style public persona has waned among both staff and the public, as he prepares to face Congress over his ties to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates’ style has reportedly been carefully managed, according to employees who spoke with The Journal, including the use of a custom-sized mannequin to test outfits from a curated wardrobe of neutral V-neck sweaters, button-down shirts, and signature glasses.
Staff reportedly select looks in advance of public appearances to project a calm, approachable image, rather than one of a distant billionaire with a $102.8 billion net worth.
The billionaire’s online presence has also been deliberately crafted, according to internal documents and employees, with efforts to drive audiences to his blog, Gates Notes, and expand his social media following. This has included carefully staged, humanizing content, such as a viral YouTube video showing him and his billionaire friend Warren Buffett, 95, serving up ice cream during a shift at Dairy Queen.
In 2024, Gates was preparing to launch his second Netflix documentary, What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, aimed at further promoting himself to the public, as he explores global challenges and cutting-edge innovations.
However, The Journal reports that the CEO of his private investment company, Gates Ventures, sent a nine-page memo to the production team outlining what did not work in the episodes after Gates had viewed them.
Among the notes was a suggestion that production should “change the sour look Bill has on his face,” reduce the number of people featured, and a comment stating, “Small design point, but it seems odd that Bernie Sanders’ ID is ‘over’ Bill.”
A Netflix spokesperson told The Journal that Netflix retained final cut and creative approval of the series.
The Gates Foundation and Gates Ventures have reportedly been tracking public opinion of the billionaire, including measures of favorability, trustworthiness, and inspiration, and have found that many negative global headlines are linked to his ties to Epstein, especially after further allegations in the Epstein files were released.
One episode that drew significant attention involved Melinda Gates speaking out after their 2021 divorce, saying she felt “unbelievable sadness” over allegations reported in the Epstein files concerning her former husband, including that he had planned to give her antibiotics for a sexually transmitted infection he contracted following “sex with Russian girls.”
Another was Gates’ February town hall meeting with employees, where he admitted to having affairs with two Russian women and acknowledged that meeting Epstein was “the opposite of the values of the foundation.”
That same month, Gates’ planned keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi was canceled hours before he was due to appear, after he withdrew amid renewed scrutiny over his appearance in the Epstein files.
As Gates’ public image has reportedly declined, with a YouGov poll showing a 40% disapproval rating, his team has advised him to keep a lower profile.
He has reportedly canceled a dinner he usually hosts at his home in Washington state tied to an annual CEO summit in May, and did not attend an annual meeting with Buffett, who said he has not spoken to his friend since the Epstein files were released.
Gates’ appearance before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on June 10 is also scheduled as a closed-door, transcribed interview focusing on his past communications and interactions with Epstein, though he may still be photographed en route in one of his signature V-neck sweaters.
“Gates has apologized for that mistake and is voluntarily speaking with the House Oversight Committee early next month to answer questions about his interactions with Epstein. Gates supports the release of all the Epstein files in hopes the victims can get the justice that they deserve,” a spokesperson for Gates told The Wall Street Journal.
The Daily Beast has reached out to The Gates Foundation for comment.
