Bill Gates' mystery Obama visit |
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Bill Gates' mystery Obama visit
What exactly did Bill Gates discuss with Barack Obama in the Oval Office in March?
OK, it was probably something innocuous, such as a simple get-to-know-ya or a discussion of education or global health -- the primary subjects of the Microsoft chairman's work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But as noted by the Associated Press, the White House didn't disclose the focus of the Obama-Gates meeting when it released a broader list today of past Oval Office visitors -- lending an air of mystery to the situation.
To be clear, Gates isn't unique in that regard. The list provides a purpose for some but not all of the visitors' White House meetings. But given the people involved, it's pretty intriguing. We've touched base with a Gates Foundation representative to see if more details are available, and we'll update this post if we find out more.
For the record, Steve Ballmer is also on the list of White House visitors, but it doesn't look like the Microsoft CEO got any face-to-face POTUS time of his own.
Ballmer was there in April for a West Wing tour, and another time in June, when he met with Lawrence Summers, director of the White House National Economic Council; and John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The list doesn't disclose the subject of that Ballmer-Holdren-Summers meeting, either, but it's far more interesting to theorize about what Gates and Obama discussed.
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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