Microsoft Corp. conducted an investigation into co-founder Bill Gates’s attempt to start a romantic relationship with an employee almost two decades ago after it was informed in 2019.
With the assistance of an external law firm, the board reviewed the matter over the weekend and held a “thorough investigation” the software giant said. The probe wasn’t concluded because Gates had stepped down before it was completed, Microsoft said.
“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. “A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm, to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided extensive support to the employee who raised the concern.”
One of the largest business and financial news companies, Dow Jones had earlier reported that Microsoft’s director found Gates’ involvement with the female employee to be inappropriate and decided last year that he had to step down from the board, citing people familiar with the matter who wasn’t identified.
So far, no further details on the investigation were provided by Microsoft.
It was reported that Microsoft’s board decided that Gates should step down while the prior romantic relationship, which was deemed to be “inappropriate,” was still under review.
A spokeswoman for Gates, however, denied any connection between his departure and the board’s investigation.
“There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably. Bill’s decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter,” the Gates spokesperson wrote in a statement. “In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier.”
Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest people in the world estimated to be worth nearly $130 billion, said in March last year that he was stepping down from the board to devote more time to philanthropy causes, including global health and climate change initiatives. Gates hasn’t been active in a day-to-day role since 2008, Microsoft said at that time.
The belated investigation into the affair came at a time that was marked by a groundswell of discussion at Microsoft about the treatment of women and Me-Too conversations in the broader industry. Since 2000, Microsoft had also put in place processes for investigating allegations and overhauled them with the goal of making them stronger, the company said.
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