"Microsoft received a concern in the latter half of 2019 that Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000," Microsoft said in a statement.
Microsoft Corp. investigated the involvement of one of Bill Gates' founders and employee nearly two decades ago after being informed in 2019 of his first attempt at dating.
The board reviewed the case and conducted an "in-depth investigation" with the help of a foreign law firm, the company said. It did not reach the conclusion of the investigation because Gates stepped down before it was finalized, Microsoft said.
"Microsoft received concerns in the latter part of 2019 that Bill Gates wanted to start a close relationship with the company in 2000," Microsoft said in a statement. "The Board of Trustees has reviewed this concern, with the assistance of an external law firm, to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided substantial support to the employee who raised the issue."
Earlier, Dow Jones reported that Microsoft executives found Gates' involvement in a woman's work inappropriate and decided last year that she should step down from the board, citing anonymous individuals.
Microsoft did not provide further details about this investigation.
The millionaire said in March last year that he was stepping down from the board to devote more time to helping people. Gates has not operated on a daily basis since 2008, Microsoft said at the time. Gates founded a software company in 1975 and served as its CEO until 2000, the same year his foundation was established, and he served as chairman until February 2014.
'Story'
A spokesman for Gates said his decision to leave the board had nothing to do with romantic involvement with the employee.
"There is an issue that happened almost 20 years ago that ended peacefully," he said, adding that "his decision to resign from the board had nothing to do with it."
A head-to-head investigation into the matter came at a time when we had a discussion session at Microsoft over the management of women's and Meo Too conversations in the wider industry. Since 2000, Microsoft has also been cracking down on allegations of retaliation, the company said.
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer. Brian Krzanich resigned after the board was informed that he had a consensual relationship with his subordinate, even though that relationship ended years ago and prior to his appointment to a senior position in the company. The Board conducted internal and external investigations by external attorneys to confirm violations of company policies and made an announcement in June 2018.
Gates and Melinda French Gates announced their divorce earlier this month after 27 years of marriage. Several reports, including one over the weekend, have expressed concern over their relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The New York Times reported in 2019 that Gates had met Epstein several times and had been staying late at his New York City apartment. Epstein died in prison two months ago while awaiting trial on charges of sexual trafficking.
A spokesman for Gates denied the allegations. "The interpretation of his meetings with Epstein and others about helping people is wrong," he said. "Rumors and speculation about Gates' divorce are becoming increasingly absurd."
Although Gates and Epstein's collaboration was not part of a broader Microsoft investigation, other board members discussed it, according to a source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because the information was not publicly available.
Stock Transfer
The split was also highlighted in Gates' fortune, which cost about $ 144 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and their base.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest of its kind in the world. With more than 1,600 employees and offices worldwide, it has already distributed more than $ 50 billion since its inception for causes such as vaccine development and women's empowerment.
Last week, Cascade Investment, an investment company founded by Gates, transferred the stock to Deere & Co to his wife, bringing in the total amount of money he has received since announcing their divorce of more than $ 3 billion.
The investment vehicle has transferred about 2.25 million shares worth about $ 851 million, according to law enforcement. That follows a similar revelation involving Mexican companies Coca-Cola Femsa and Grupo Televisa and an estimated $ 1.8 billion in stocks in Canada National Railway Co and AutoNation Inc.
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