--- description: Only one lucky participant was chosen to receive a present from Bill Gates. title: Bill Gates Gave One Reddit User an Amazingly Thoughtful Secret Santa Gift image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Bill Gates Gave One Reddit User an Amazingly Thoughtful Secret Santa Gift  by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Dec 17, 2015 8:37 PM CUT  by [Megan McCluskey](/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Dec 17, 2015 8:37 PM CUT > [](https://twitter.com/reddit/status/677287312288571392) Over [120,000 users](https://www.redditgifts.com/exchanges/secret-santa-2015/ "undefined") from more than 150 countries signed up for Reddit’s seventh annual Secret Santa gift exchange, but only one lucky participant was chosen to receive a present from [Bill Gates](http://time.com/4150170/bill-gates-best-books-2015/ "undefined"). This was Gate’s third year participating in the site’s holiday tradition, and [the Microsoft founder](http://time.com/4140710/donald-trump-wants-bill-gates-to-help-with-closing-that-internet-up/ "undefined") did not disappoint. [Gates is known for](http://time.com/4122662/success-morning-routines/ "undefined") tailoring his choices based on information he gathers from his partner’s profile and this year was no different. Redditor NayaTheNinja, who is an avid hiker, not only received a set of new outdoor adventure equipment — including a tent, mosquito net, camping chair and personalized playlist — but also a donation in her name to the charity Malaria No More. [In a post about how amazing her Secret Santa gift](https://www.redditgifts.com/gallery/gift/win-no-seriously-win-secret-santa-why/ "undefined") was, Naya said that the donation was particularly meaningful to her because of her special connection to the cause. She explained that she became passionate about curing Malaria after visiting a friend in the Peace Corps in Zambia last year. “I bring all this up because my Santa gave me the amazing gift of a donation in my name to an organization called Malaria No More which is dedicated to wiping out malaria,” she wrote. “They provide prevention, treatment, and research towards more permanent solutions (namely vaccines). It is very cool. I also received some very cool stuff (like seriously rad stuff) but it is, in the end, stuff and the donation will help create a lasting effect on people other than myself.” In his package, Gates also included a picture of himself holding a sign that explained his selection. “You and I have something in common: We both hate mosquitos!” he wrote. “One of my Secret Santa presents to you is a donation in your name to Malaria No More, because no child should ever die of a mosquito bite.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4153766/bill-gates-reddit-secret-santa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4153766/bill-gates-reddit-secret-santa/"},"headline":"Bill Gates Gave One Reddit User an Amazingly Thoughtful Secret Santa Gift","datePublished":"2015-12-17T20:37:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:27:54.670Z","description":"He wins the Internet","url":"https://time.com/4153766/bill-gates-reddit-secret-santa/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","reddit","Bill Gates","christmas","Holidays","holiday season"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4153766/bill-gates-reddit-secret-santa/","name":"Bill Gates Gave One Reddit User an Amazingly Thoughtful Secret Santa Gift"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Explains: The Deep Web","description":"The FBI takedown of the online market Silk Road reveals the challenges of regulating the Deep Web. 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