Bill Gates—billionaire tech mogul, philanthropist, F. Scott Fitzgerald enthusiast—is also, it turns out, a truly over-the-top gift-giver. The Microsoft founder and thoughtful friend regularly participates in online forum Reddit’s massive annual Secret Santa gift exchange, which in past years has involved nearly 60,000 people. And this year, he again went above and beyond to make one woman’s Christmas experience truly unforgettable, as IGN confirms.
Surprised (and delighted) Redditor Aerrix Laurel shared the contents of her stuffed gift package on Tuesday, gushing over the thoughtfulness of each of the gifts. From a brand-new XBox One console (“I love my XBox, and thought you might like one too,” Gates explained in a handwritten sticky note) to the coveted NES Classic console, a slew of DVDs and video games, and Harry Potter-themed socks (selected in a Ravenclaw pattern since “I won’t be able to consult with the Sorting Hat but I can tell that you are quite clever,” he explained in an enclosed letter), Gates made sure to stock the substantial haul with items that were specific to Laurel’s interests. The finishing touch: a framed Photoshopped picture of Laurel and her partner—and a thoughtful donation to code.org, to help others learn to code.
“I’m just blown away by his generosity,” Laurel wrote. Check out the full haul, including Gates’s personal note, or read Laurel’s story here:
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