Bill Gates too rich for tax computer

Agence France Presse | February 1, 2006

[HAL9000]

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the world's richest man, said today the tax office in the US has to store his financial data on a special computer because his fortune is so vast.

"My tax return in the United States has to be kept on a special computer because their normal computers can't deal with the numbers," he said at a Microsoft conference held in Lisbon.

"So I am constantly getting these notices telling me I haven't paid something when really it is just on the wrong computer," he added in comments broadcast on television.

"Then they will send me another notice telling me how bad they feel they that they sent me a notice that was a mistake," he said

Gates's fortune is put at $47 billion, according to the latest list of the world's rich published by Forbes magazine.

Last month Time magazine named Gates and his wife Melinda, along with rock star Bono, its Persons of the Year for 2005, citing their charitable work and activism aimed at reducing global poverty and improving world health.

The couple's Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a $29 billion endowment making it the world's biggest charity.

[Knitebane]

If the computing world were divided up into political factions, Windows would be represented by Red States, Linux by Blue States and Apple users would be trying to keep the Reform Party alive.

Hmmmm. I'd agree with that with one change.

Switch the blue states/red states reference and you've nailed it.

Microsoft. Outdated ideas. No innovation, only copying other's ideas. On it's way out. Just like the Dems.

Yeah, that works better.

[Cementjungle]

His income must be huge as well. 1.5% dividend on $47 billion in Microsoft stock is about $660 million a year in income. $55 million a month. About $2 million a day.

$23/second, 24 hours a day!

[mkjessup]

Microsoft. Outdated ideas. No innovation, only copying other's ideas. On it's way out.

Thank you Terry McAuliffe (laugh-chuckle)..."this is the best day in the history of computing..." (paraphrased) :)