Sir Bill Gates...

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-25 03:08pm

Telegraph reports that Bill Gates will be knighted.. DAMNIT NO.

Queen to give knighthood to Bill Gates - but you can blame it on Gordon Brown
By Robert Peston, City Editor
(Filed: 25/01/2004)

Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and the world's wealthiest man, is to receive an honorary knighthood for "services to global enterprise".

The recommendation that he receive the honour was made by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Buckingham Palace is expected to announce it tomorrow, when Mr Gates will speak at a conference on "Advancing Enterprise" organised by Mr Brown.

The controversial software company creator - whose commercial success has led to hatred of him among his competitors - is worth an estimated $40 billion (£22 billion). Microsoft is described as the "Evil Empire" by those who resent its grip on the computer industry.

Other Americans to have received the KBE include George Bush, the former president, Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, Steven Spielberg, the film director, and Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank.

Mr Greenspan is another speaker at tomorrow's conference. The event has prompted resentment in the Prime Minister's close circle, who knew nothing about it until a fortnight ago.

They are annoyed that the conference - which gathers together luminaries from the business and political worlds including Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, and Lord Browne, chief executive of BP - is taking place in Tony Blair's most difficult week since he became Prime Minister in 1997.

"On the eve of Hutton and the university fees vote, this is Brown saying, 'Look at all my powerful friends'," said a Downing Street adviser.

Mr Gates has been a notable donor to charities and good causes. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was created in 2000 to improve "equity in global health and learning". He has donated nearly $26 billion to the foundation.

The foundation set up a £139 million scholarship scheme three years ago to attract the brightest students to Cambridge University. It has also invested millions of dollars in research for an Aids vaccine.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-01-25 03:12pm

I posted it in OT look for WHAT THE FUDGE

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-25 03:19pm

Bah you suck.

LOCK PLEASE.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2004-01-25 03:34pm

I say he get the real knighthood and dump his U.S. citizenship. I don't wanna share my voting priveleges with his ilk...

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-01-25 03:40pm

Isn't there a clause in the Constitution about government officials not being allowed to recieve any sort of knighthood/patent of nobilty? How did Alan Greenspan get it?

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-01-25 03:45pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Isn't there a clause in the Constitution about government officials not being allowed to recieve any sort of knighthood/patent of nobilty? How did Alan Greenspan get it?

The Federal Reserve is not part of the U.S. Federal Government.

With Congress' consent, any civilian not in government office may recieve nobility from other crowns.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-01-25 05:24pm

No citizen is technically supposed to be made noble, but allowances can be made for honorary titles. Now, if they try to make it official and give him a seat on the House of Lords it becomes a problem.

KrauserKrauser · Post by **KrauserKrauser** » 2004-01-25 07:57pm

Bill Gates for King!

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-01-26 04:45am

I think the Queen should make the guy who invented Linux a duke or prince, just to annoy him.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2004-01-26 04:59am

Rogue 9 wrote:No citizen is technically supposed to be made noble, but allowances can be made for honorary titles. Now, if they try to make it official and give him a seat on the House of Lords it becomes a problem.

A knighthood does not qualify one to get into the house of Lords.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2004-01-26 05:00am

Bah..this ois one of the reasons why I have always opposed politicians having anytrhing to do with the Royal Honours system. fucking brownnosing and cronyism

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2004-01-26 07:46am

What the name of the crazy guy from Oracle who hates Bill with all his heart?

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-26 02:45pm

Mr Bean wrote:What the name of the crazy guy from Oracle who hates Bill with all his heart?

Larry Ellison?