An upcoming book is expected to generate controversy around Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Plaintiff Anupreeta Das alleges that Mr. Gates engaged in inappropriate behavior toward several women, which led Microsoft to institute measures to protect young interns from being alone with him, which New York Post Office reported.
The book portrays a man who, despite his philanthropic image, exhibited a pattern of unwanted advances and flirtatious conduct toward both employees and interns.
The book claims that Bill Gates “flirted with some of the Gates Foundation interns, putting them in the uncomfortable position of having to think about their career prospects without wanting to be run over by their boss.”
However, a former Microsoft executive told the author that Gates did not “attack” women or ask for sexual favors in exchange for career advancement. “He’s not Harvey Weinstein… I don’t know of any real situation where anyone got anything for sleeping with Bill.”
A spokesperson for Bill Gates denied the allegations. “Relying almost exclusively on second- and third-hand hearsay and anonymous sources, the book includes highly sensationalized allegations and outright falsehoods that ignore the actual documented facts that our office has provided to the author on numerous occasions,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the New York Post Office.
These alleged actions are said to have had a profound impact on Mr. Gates’ marriage to Melinda French Gates. The book claims that she became increasingly concerned about her husband’s behavior, leading her to take proactive measures, including a reorganization of her security details and restrictions on her access to personal contact information.
The couple’s eventual divorce is partially attributed to the ongoing tension caused by these issues, as well as Gates’ continued association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The allegations have been met with vehement denial by Gates and his representatives, who characterize the book’s claims as sensationalist and unfounded. However, the allegations are likely to spark intense public scrutiny and debate over the behavior of powerful figures.
The book is scheduled to hit stores on August 13th.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story