What is Bill Gates up to? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

seretogis · 01-16-2004, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Gates quietly spends $14 million buying homes near Medina estate

By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Over the past decade, Bill Gates has quietly bought up 11 properties, including nine houses, that surround his 5-acre Medina estate, creating a buffer zone that is increasingly turning a small hillside neighborhood into a private holding of the richest man on Earth.

Enormous houses — dubbed "megamansions" — are nothing new to Medina, including Gates' 48,000-square-foot spread, which he moved into in 1997. But this is the first evidence of one of the town's many industry magnates actually buying portions of a neighborhood.

"There's not too many non-Gates property owners left here," said Herb Schwartz, a former insurance executive who moved into the Medina neighborhood 13 years ago.

The properties, totaling 4.2 acres, were acquired by a representative for the Microsoft co-founder between 1994 and 2003 at a cost of nearly $14.4 million, according to property records.

"This is a family that holds privacy very dearly to them," said family spokesman Joe Cerrell. "The properties create a buffer around the Gates home."

The purchases are common knowledge among neighbors such as Schwartz, who say Gates employees occupy a number of the homes. At least two of the homes are still occupied by people who sold their property to a Gates representative in 2003.

Most neighbors are unfazed by the acquisitions and say the houses and landscaping have been meticulously cared for since they changed hands.

"Obviously they are people who have some connection with Microsoft or Bill Gates, but (the houses) are occupied by families, which is important because it maintains the character and feel of the neighborhood," said Read Langenbach, a real-estate attorney and former Medina city councilman who lives across the street from one of the properties, which has been converted into a plant nursery.

Not everyone is happy about the changes, though.

Paulla Upjohn, who has lived in her waterfront home since 1951, said the home purchases are part of a larger change wrought by the Gateses' arrival a few doors north of her. There is more traffic on the narrow streets. One home two doors away bought by a Gates representative now stands empty. Casual socializing among neighbors has grown less commonplace, she said.

"I have been very happy with them as people," she said of the Gates family. "But it's changed the neighborhood."

The Gates family strives to be a good neighbor, Cerrell said. He said Gates representatives have met with neighbors occasionally to discuss any potential problems.

"The dynamics of neighborhoods are constantly evolving. I can't comment on whether there's more of a tendency or not for neighbors to spontaneously get together," he said.

Cerrell declined to say who is living in the homes. He said there are no current or long-term plans for the properties, and that he knew of no immediate plans for purchases of more nearby homes.

"That's not to say there won't be any in the future," he said.

Medina officials in recent years have fretted over the noise and dust neighbors must endure during construction of homes on massive estates like that of Gates and his wife, Melinda. Some have also voiced concern about wealthy landowners buying several small lots and combining them to create a single, sprawling estate.

If other residents follow Gates' lead, that could present some challenges for the city of 3,000, said Medina City Manager Doug Schulze. Much of the money the city gets from the state is based on population. If people buy up surrounding houses and don't have people living in them, the city's share of state funding might decline, he said.

Schulze said he knew of one other resident — former Microsoft engineer Charles Simonyi — who owned separate houses surrounding his own. County property records show Simonyi owns two homes adjacent to his.

"Typically, it is just a small number of people who can afford to do something like that. I'd say it's just one of those issues that we need to be aware of and keep an eye on," he said.

Medina Mayor Mary Odermat said she saw no problem with it, as long as the houses remained single-family homes and the properties weren't absorbed into the Gates estate.

Land-use experts say they haven't heard of other wealthy landowners buying up surrounding homes and then housing employees there.

"I think the last time this was done was somewhere back in the 1300s, 1400s, with the English baronial lords," said John McIlwain, senior fellow for housing at the Urban Land Institute, a widely recognized land-use think tank. "There are plenty of wealthy people around, but you don't see them going around buying houses for their vassals."

While none of the property transactions have Gates' name on them, they all bear his mark. The deals are signed by Christopher Carletti, a Gates family attorney who has handled land transactions for Gates, including the acquisition of the land where his mansion sits. Carletti acquired the properties as a representative of a financial trust set up by the Gates family, Cerrell said.

One of the homes faces Evergreen Point Road, a main road through the town. The remainder line Northeast 18th Street, a narrow road of switchbacks down a hill toward Lake Washington, and 73rd Avenue Northeast, which runs past lakefront homes and dead-ends at an entrance to the Gates estate.

The people who sold the property say little about the transactions.

Helen Andrews, whose family sold its property in 1998, said they signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of the sale.

The Guyton family sold its property to Carletti in June 1996, after they complained that construction dust and fumes from the Gates estate were causing them respiratory problems.

"The one thing I heard around that time is they were going to remodel it for their nanny. But I don't know what they've done with it since then," Dr. Steven Guyton said.

Plans for the properties have bumped up against city regulators at least once. Gates officials wanted to use one of the vacant properties to park cars. But city officials objected because it would violate city codes, said Joseph Gellings, who was a consultant to the city at the time and is now the city's planning director. That property now serves as the plant nursery.

To me, this has the makings of a bad horror movie. Rich eccentric software developer buys up surrounding properties and uses them to house subjects of his mad-scientist-like experiments.

Crack · 01-17-2004, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by seretogis

To me, this has the makings of a bad horror movie. Rich eccentric software developer buys up surrounding properties and uses them to house subjects of his mad-scientist-like experiments.

Or, ya know he dosen't want people taking pictures of him around the pool with his shirt off, could you imagine the shockwaves hitting the internet? *Shudder*
~Crack

nefarious · 01-18-2004, 08:18 PM

i wish i had that much money ... then again .. that's too much .. it would be impossible to spend it all..

why doesnt he just buy an island .. a lot easier to get privacy ..

MSD · 01-18-2004, 11:22 PM

I'd do the same thing, but I'd move in friends and family so I'd have people to chill out with when I got bored. I'd subsidize their cost of living on the condition that they don't let photographers take pictures of me until I was out on public roads.

forgotten_dream · 01-22-2004, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crackprogram
Or, ya know he dosen't want people taking pictures of him around the pool with his shirt off, could you imagine the shockwaves hitting the internet? *Shudder*
~Crack

I'm pretty sure that would break the camera in question. It's like build in privacy defense!

cait987 · 01-22-2004, 06:27 PM

Interesting, so he buys a bunch of houses and well buys alot of houses?

Hehe I guess that explains why microsoft hasnt been releasing much lately, its because the richest man in AMERICA (not the world there are a few richer people in the world *cough* drug lords *cough* hehe) has been buying houses in the middle of nowhere ...

also, like nefarious said why not just buy a island? hook up some SAM sites and have a little camp out anyone who wants a picture for the media can get past the defences ><

but hey when you have 6 billion dollars in your pocket you can decide what the hell you want to do with your money ><

orange monkeyee · 01-22-2004, 08:00 PM

I'd buy a truck of mexicans, get them drunk and then take them into a big city and film it. El Drunk0s, the movie.,

Flesh · 01-22-2004, 09:11 PM

^ rofl, great idea!

ror23 · 01-23-2004, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nefarious
i wish i had that much money ... then again .. that's too much .. it would be impossible to spend it all..

why doesnt he just buy an island .. a lot easier to get privacy ..

Paul Allen did buy an island, but it was just too difficult to get Pizza and chinese delivered.
That and Medina is a lot closer to the campus.

ratbastid · 01-23-2004, 11:36 AM

You gotta watch out when you start building a compound. Next thing you know the ATF will set fire to the place....

thejoker130 · 01-23-2004, 06:33 PM

It's another plan to take over the world!!

"What we doing tonight Bill?"

"The same thing we do everynight Pinky....Introduce our next line of crappy software so we can take over the world!"

Acutsef · 01-23-2004, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ratbastid
You gotta watch out when you start building a compound. Next thing you know the ATF will set fire to the place....

Bwahahahahahaha
/falls off swiss ball

omega2K4 · 01-24-2004, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrSelfDestruct
I'd do the same thing, but I'd move in friends and family so I'd have people to chill out with when I got bored. I'd subsidize their cost of living on the condition that they don't let photographers take pictures of me until I was out on public roads.

Ditto

hulk · 01-27-2004, 12:45 AM

And that's not all he's doing.

Is there anything left that money can't buy?

merkerguitars · 01-30-2004, 07:45 PM

Who knows...maybe he just wants to spend money. Easiest way to blow lots of money is to buy property....imagine his property taxes....

bigbad · 01-31-2004, 03:55 AM

Everyone knows he is slowly accumulating land, and that he will not stop until he owns ALL OF NORTH AMERICA!!!

TerresqueÜ · 02-01-2004, 07:54 PM

Someone that rich should be funding cancer research of the whole world. Or doing something less wasteful...

skier · 02-01-2004, 11:22 PM

What just because he's good at what he does he should donate more money than you do? Besides he is already donating a higher percentage of his income than many people on this board have even tohught about donating.

Linky, 168 million

Linky, 21.8 million

these are just two of the numerous smaller donations bill and melinda have made.

linky, 5 BILLION

And finally, most importantly, ALL THE REST

along with this, a seperate report of his reasons.

please don't make ignorant statements slandering people just because they make more money than you do or for any other stupid reason.

hulk · 02-02-2004, 12:20 AM

It's not that he's got the money, it's that he's taken credit for so many other people's work, cheated companies, monopolised and generally not been a nice guy. As for the donation, one or two billion would have him set for the rest of his fat, geeky, kermit-sounding life. Percentages don't come into this, that's a really bad example to use. Maybe he could spend some money on Valium for his chimp Ballmer...

vapusforever · 02-02-2004, 01:11 AM

All i feel after reading that article is a mixture of jealousy and sadness

i wish i had neighbors hating me for buying too much land...

01-18-2004, 08:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
nefarious Insane Location: Tucson, AZ	i wish i had that much money ... then again .. that's too much .. it would be impossible to spend it all.. why doesnt he just buy an island .. a lot easier to get privacy .. __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum. - Vegetius "Do Re Mil.3, Prol.

01-23-2004, 06:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
thejoker130 Insane Location: slippery rock university AKA: The left ass cheek of the world	It's another plan to take over the world!! "What we doing tonight Bill?" "The same thing we do everynight Pinky....Introduce our next line of crappy software so we can take over the world!" __________________ WHAT MORE CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? ------------------------------------- I like you. When the world is mine your death will be quick and painless.

01-27-2004, 12:45 AM	#14 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	And that's not all he's doing. Is there anything left that money can't buy? __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

01-30-2004, 07:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
merkerguitars Buffering......... Location: Wisconsin...	Who knows...maybe he just wants to spend money. Easiest way to blow lots of money is to buy property....imagine his property taxes.... __________________ Donate now! Ask me How! Please use the search function it is your friend. Look at my mustang please feel free to comment! http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

02-01-2004, 07:54 PM	#17 (permalink)
TerresqueÜ Hiding Out	Someone that rich should be funding cancer research of the whole world. Or doing something less wasteful... __________________ Say yes to the 'Tilted Roleplaying' Forum http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1932&highlight=petition

01-18-2004, 11:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	I'd do the same thing, but I'd move in friends and family so I'd have people to chill out with when I got bored. I'd subsidize their cost of living on the condition that they don't let photographers take pictures of me until I was out on public roads.

01-22-2004, 06:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
cait987 Insane	Interesting, so he buys a bunch of houses and well buys alot of houses? Hehe I guess that explains why microsoft hasnt been releasing much lately, its because the richest man in AMERICA (not the world there are a few richer people in the world cough drug lords cough hehe) has been buying houses in the middle of nowhere ... also, like nefarious said why not just buy a island? hook up some SAM sites and have a little camp out anyone who wants a picture for the media can get past the defences >< but hey when you have 6 billion dollars in your pocket you can decide what the hell you want to do with your money ><

01-22-2004, 08:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
orange monkeyee Banned	I'd buy a truck of mexicans, get them drunk and then take them into a big city and film it. El Drunk0s, the movie.,

01-22-2004, 09:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
Flesh Psycho	^ rofl, great idea!

01-23-2004, 11:36 AM	#10 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	You gotta watch out when you start building a compound. Next thing you know the ATF will set fire to the place....

01-31-2004, 03:55 AM	#16 (permalink)
bigbad Insane	Everyone knows he is slowly accumulating land, and that he will not stop until he owns ALL OF NORTH AMERICA!!!

02-01-2004, 11:22 PM	#18 (permalink)
skier Rawr! Location: Edmontania	What just because he's good at what he does he should donate more money than you do? Besides he is already donating a higher percentage of his income than many people on this board have even tohught about donating. Linky, 168 million Linky, 21.8 million these are just two of the numerous smaller donations bill and melinda have made. linky, 5 BILLION And finally, most importantly, ALL THE REST along with this, a seperate report of his reasons. please don't make ignorant statements slandering people just because they make more money than you do or for any other stupid reason. __________________ "Asking a bomb squad if an old bomb is still "real" is not the best thing to do if you want to save it." - denim

02-02-2004, 12:20 AM	#19 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	It's not that he's got the money, it's that he's taken credit for so many other people's work, cheated companies, monopolised and generally not been a nice guy. As for the donation, one or two billion would have him set for the rest of his fat, geeky, kermit-sounding life. Percentages don't come into this, that's a really bad example to use. Maybe he could spend some money on Valium for his chimp Ballmer... __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

02-02-2004, 01:11 AM	#20 (permalink)
vapusforever Tilted Location: Your Imagination	All i feel after reading that article is a mixture of jealousy and sadness i wish i had neighbors hating me for buying too much land...