Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, is the fifth richest person in the world and has a net worth of more than R$5 billion (US$1.1 billion). The businessman was already elected the richest person in the world for 17 years between 1995 and 2017, despite this, he continued to frequent economy class flights, according to the “Luxury Launches” portal.
His company, Microsoft, experienced significant growth in the 1990s and has established itself as one of the world’s leading technology brands. Despite this, Microsoft maintained a strict policy that defined that its employees fly economy class on business trips and Bill Gates followed the same guideline.
In 1986, Bill Gates became a millionaire, yet he continued to fly economy class, a little-known fact. This was a huge challenge, after all he had several commitments and it was difficult to schedule his schedule with the airline’s schedule.
Eleven years later, in 1997, he decided to buy an exclusive jet that cost US$ 21 million (R$ 105 million, at current prices). Who paid the bill was Bill Gates himself and not Microsoft, despite using the jet for business trips. Gates purchased the Bombardier Challenger 604 which had a wide cabin and could seat 10 passengers.
Bill Gates currently has a fleet of private jets that is valued at R$1 billion (US$200 million) and contains two Gulfstream G650ERs, two Bombardier Challenger 350s, plus a helicopter and a seaplane.
The large fleet of planes draws attention, as Bill Gates has become one of the defenders of the climate cause. He has written a book about what he has learned about climate change and how to deal with it, but it is heavily criticized for his lifestyle.
According to a report, the billionaire made 392 private jet trips in 2022, this equates to an average of more than one per day that emit many tons of CO2. In addition to planes, he also owns several luxury cars.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
