Bill Gates is exploring a new way of sharing what he stands for: a viral video.
Appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Gates debuted a video to promote the Gates Foundation's annual open letter for 2014, in which he wears a variety of wigs, including a chicken's head, a blonde bob and an afro – certainly not how we're using to seeing him. (Though Gates could stand to take a few tips on the nature of virality from The Atlantic's interview with two teenagers who run the Twitter account @HistoryInPics.)
In this year's letter, at GatesLetter.com, the Microsoft magnate openly challenges the “three myths” that speak of the state of poverty around the world and, Gates says, “block progress for the poor”. He says, contrary to much of the rhetoric that surrounds the third world, “by almost any measure, the world is better than it has ever been” – of course, with the help of huge contributions from the Gates Foundation:
By 2035, there will be almost no poor countries left in the world ... Don’t let anyone tell you that Africa is worse off today than it was 50 years ago.
Gates has released another video, markedly without the bells and whistles of that shown on Late Night, in which he argues that foreign aid actually works, with jottings on a notepad by way of illustration.
Meanwhile, there have been no developments in Microsoft's search for a new CEO to replace Steve Ballmer. Gates is understood to be adamant that he will not return to the role, but has offered "to help out part-time" at the company.