Bill Gates Unleashes Live Mosquitoes on Gathering of Tech Elite

After taking the stage at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference, the former CEO of Microsoft declared, "Not only poor people should experience this," and let loose a swarm of mosquitoes on the crowd. It almost (but only almost) makes sense when you realize that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent millions of dollars and immeasurable amounts of man-hours to end malaria.
The completely out of character antics quickly made their way around the Internet thanks to Twitter. The tech elite on hand, such as Dave Morin, manager of Facebook; Ev Williams, CEO of Twitter; and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar all reported the swarm as it was unfolding.
Omidyar won our hearts, though, by announcing to his Twitter-reading public, "That's it, I'm not sitting up front anymore," following Gates' outburst.
We hope we haven't seen the last of this new 'Dennis the Menace'-like side of Bill. We're hoping for packs of wild dogs at the upcoming Mobile World Congress. [From: Twitter, Via: Gawker]
Bill Gates at Microsoft -- a Look Back
Posing for Teen Beat Magazine Back in 1983
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At the launch of Windows 95
Getty Images
Introducing Windows 98 in 1998
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Pie in the face in 1998
Getty Images
Unveiling Windows XP in 2001
Getty Images
At the World Economic Forum in 2008
Getty Images
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Comments
144
Subscribe to commentssteveFeb 5th 2009 2:27AM
Unleases?? Not even a word. Anyone with a modicum of education would first know that it should be "unleashes" and secondly, would have the wherewithal to use a spell check (lack of attention to detail). Sad commentary of today's journalists.
mFeb 5th 2009 2:59PM
people are dying all over the world and all you can think of doing is complaining about someone not spelling something right? wow what kind of shallow person are you? It is rare to find people who can still spell in this day and age but it's like discrimination if you say something about it.
alexFeb 5th 2009 3:43PM
Steve, You don't have to be so overly critical. It doesn't hinder your comprehension at all so just chill. It appears to have been corrected by now anyway because I don't see "unleases" anywhere, I may just be overlooking it though. Oh but don't forget, anyone with a modicum of education would know that "spell check" is a proper noun as it is the name of a computer program, and therefore you would not say "to use a spell check." You should have omitted the "a." Of course it doesn't matter though, it's just a stupid mistake. I'm just unnecessarily busting your balls and wasting everyone's time. See my point? It is kind of an awkwardly written little article though...
JasonFeb 5th 2009 3:54PM
So just how much of your day did it take you to find uncommon words to put in your rant. Maybe with your knowledge of the English language you should be writing articles? Why are you not writing news articles? Hmmmm maybe your not the know it all you think you are?
MinderifficFeb 5th 2009 7:35PM
Oh Steve....get your pompous head out of your pompous ass.
killergeekFeb 5th 2009 8:20PM
Steve.....it does say "Unleashes"....you shouldn't drink and type
jimFeb 5th 2009 9:05PM
what the heck is this word,wherewithal? if you are refering to the title of the story, it shows that its spelled "unleashes" on my screen. not everyone is an english schoolar and doesn't always use caps, spells correctly, or start sentences with cap letters. give people a break or stop commenting
SMRTNUPFeb 6th 2009 10:50AM
Your LACK of attention to detail tells me that you were so intent upon finding even one tiny little error about which to criticize someone for that you OVERLOOKED the fact that, . . IN FACT, the articles author DID use the word correctly and also SPELLED it correctly. . . .
To be a CRITIC requires no education, training or knowledge of any topic or subject. . . It only requires a NEED to elevate one's self by the means of attempting to lower another in the eyes of others. . . A critic spends their time tearing down what others accomplish and are not inclined to DO for themselves or make any contribution to Society. . . . It may take thousands of people, each one doing their part, . . to create a finished product which has value and a purpose. . . It only takes ONE CRITIC to attempt to destroy it's image and popularity. . . Like an Automobile, Aircraft, Boat, Stereo, Computer, etc., etc., etc., . . .
SandyFeb 6th 2009 12:58PM
Thank you! It makes me feel reassured that there is at least one other person in the world who cares. If these idiots who have been responding to your post had an education, they would have realized that you are correct. Spelling is important!
JeniFeb 7th 2009 3:24PM
UNLEASE = What one does when they return a leased vehicle to the dealership.
Perhaps Gates rented said skeeters and then promptly returned then thereby UNLEASING them.
What do you have to say about that Ole Steve, my man?!?!
Pat HeroldFeb 8th 2009 10:05AM
It was a typo, one letter left out of a word, and since the word 'unleased' is also a word, spell check wouldn't pick it up. Pay attention to the content of the article. That is what you should be commenting on.
ZsuFeb 8th 2009 8:02PM
To all the people who are giving Steve a hard time for picking on the spelling of 'unleashes', check out the web address of the article. It goes like this:
http://www.switched.com/2009/02/04/bill-gates-unleases-mosquitoes-on-tech-elite/1#commentform
So, in effect, it does actually contain the word 'unleases', so we can let him have this one.....
HollyFeb 5th 2009 3:05AM
This is really not funny. I got a case of viral meningitis in 2001 from a poolside mosquito bite. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks.This is like spraying people with contaminated blood to raise aids awareness... what a maroon
matyFeb 5th 2009 8:05AM
Erm... no its not.
Contaminated blood would 100% contain said disease.
There's nothing to say that those mosquitos were carrying anything (raised in secure labs, why would they be?). Male mosquitos don't bite either.
Besides, as far as I'm concerned, too rightly. Why should these people be ignorant to what millions of people worldwide have to face everyday. Atleast here they have the treatment and finances to recover from it.
Its not meant to be funny, its meant to make people stop and think - and its succeeded in that.
TonyFeb 5th 2009 8:22AM
Did you know that 50 million people world wide have been exterminated by the proliferation of these little buggers since DDT has been outlawed. But the environment is doing very well, so its all smiles then.
Danielle ClarkeFeb 5th 2009 2:40PM
Holly @ Feb 5th 2009 3:05AM
This is really not funny. I got a case of viral meningitis in 2001 from a poolside mosquito bite. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks.This is like spraying people with contaminated blood to raise aids awareness... what a maroon
I THINK YOU MEAN MORON not "maroon"
ElizabethFeb 5th 2009 2:52PM
Danielle, I think (hope) Holly was being funny with her spelling of "maroon" for moron. I call people "maroons" often, it's not that funny but isn't as harsh either.
JulieFeb 5th 2009 2:51PM
I'm with you. I also got viral menigitis, but in 1999. I never figured out what caused it for sure, but the grass was being over-watered at my condo and that left standing water, so my best guess was that I had been bitten too. Not a very smart move for such a brilliant guy.
HeatherFeb 5th 2009 2:56PM
"What a maroon" is from Bugs Bunny. Holly very well have ment exactly what she said.
HollyFeb 5th 2009 3:49PM
Yes I said Maroon on purpose... and It's from Bugs Bunny... Even if the mosquitos had been raised in labs all they had to do was bite one infected person and then bite another person and bodily fluids are shared. That is precisely how mosquitos spread disease. And, It's not as simple as going to the doctor and getting better.. some of these illnessess are life threatening, chronic, or incurable. AIDS and Hepatitis C are examples. The Meningitis I had caused some permanent damage.