Most people who are not bridge players know at least three things about Bill Gates: He was one of the founders of the great Microsoft, he plays the game of bridge and versions of him have appeared in The Simpsons and other shows several times over.
Since we’re all here to talk about bridge, it seemed like a great idea to browse through what there was to find on Bill Gates and his bridge game.
Here are some great articles, interviews, videos and quotes from and about Bill Gates and how he views bridge.
Richfield Man Plays Bridge with Billionaires Bill Gates & Warren Buffett
This great article appeared in the Star Tribune in August, 2016 – and it shows what happens when a bridge player gets invited to a big tournament by some of the biggest names in bridge.
The story traces back to the national bridge events that year – and to Nebraska – where player Bjorgvin Kristinsson got called to show his skills with a card deck. It turns out that bridge players can get pretty struck by the stars when they meet their heroes…
News from 2017 saw Bill Gates showing up at the 2017 NABC, where he was there to both encourage others to play bridge – and to participate at the tables. This article was originally published in the local Kansas City news, and it’s always great to see bridge as a news headline anywhere!
Bill Gates Encourages Youngsters to Play
Here’s a quick YouTube sighting of Bill Gates showing up at the 2009 NABC Youth Event with a kind word of encouragement for the youth players at the event (and for any young or aspiring players who might watch this video several years after the original upload).
The Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Game
Short, but sweet: A video of Gates and Buffett playing bridge at the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting and also a pretty cool find.
Meet Sharon Osberg: The Woman Who Teaches Warren Buffett and Bill Gates Bridge
A little bit of digging unearthed this article from the Financial Review by Thomas Heath, published in 2017. It’s a great interview with Sharon Osberg, one of our own and certainly a driving force in how Warren Buffett and Bill Gates play bridge.
From one of my regular stops on the internet highway, here’s a post on Gates Notes (Bill’s personal blog) showcasing a few snaps from the personal archive of him and best friend Warren over the years.
It’s on this list because it ends with a great image of both men, smiling and over the moon, during one of their many bridge games.
Gates Notes: What Makes for a Good Bridge Partner?
One more article from digging around on Gates Notes, here’s what he had to say about what makes a good bridge partner. An undeniably great read.