Since 2012, Microsoft billionaire, Bill Gates has been participating in Reddit’s annual Secret Santa gift exchange which matches Reddit users with strangers online who surprise them with gifts during the Christmas season.
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Two years ago he was matched with a cat lover to whom Bill Gates sent a giant load of feline-themed gifts, including a large stuffed cartoon cat and $750 in donations to her favourite animal charities. Last year he was paired with miniature horse owner who loves yarn, natural fibres, and card-making. Gates surprised him a bounty of yarn, decorating tape, pencils, postcards, sketchbooks, a custom-made blanket for his horse, and a signed copy of a “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” by Hank Green, the man’s favourite author.
This year he was matched with 33-year-old, Detroit-area marketer who told MarketWatch yesterday,
“I always thought it would be super cool to be matched with him some day, but I never really would have expected this to happen to me.”
The woman was also reported to have received a Harry Potter Santa hat; Lego building sets that include a giant Hogwarts castle; a handmade quilt depicting scenes from Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda” game series; and “Twin Peaks” memorabilia, including an L.L. Bean jacket worn by one of the crew members. The woman also got a bound manuscript of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
Gates and his wife Belinda have so far given out a total of $45.5 billion to charitable causes around the world.
Even though the only beneficiary of Gates benevolence on Reddit this holiday is this Michigander, there are a host of other deep pockets who has touched other people’s lives with gifts and surprise mega-hampers this Christmas making the initiative a wonderful one, worthy of the season.
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