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Bill Gates Joins Twitter – Uses The Web Interface

By Alex Wilhelm Follow Alex Wilhelm on twitter on January 20th, 2010

bill-gates-mugshotBill Gates has joined Twitter and is tweeting away using the web interface.

Twitter employee @caroline has confirmed this.

Of course, Bill Gates is the famed man from Microsoft who brought us a talking paperclip and Windows 1.0 pillow cases, if you remember that far back.

You can follow him on Twitter: @BillGates.

Bill only has 241 followers, and tweeted his first tweet just three hours ago. If you send him an @ now, he might just get back to you. But then again, he is Bill Gates.

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About the Author

Alex Wilhelm

Alex Wilhelm is a Chicago-based technology blogger and entrepreneur. He has worked for a number of technology companies in recent years, and has a particular interest in watching the social web monetize. Follow Alex on Twitter, or on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at alex@thenextweb.com

Discussion - 88 Comments/Pingbacks RSS feed for comments on this post

« Older Comments
  1. Shant D says January 19, 2010
    Reply

    Already more than 2632 followers + 1 (me)

  2. vtpg says January 19, 2010
    Reply

    3140 now… :)

  3. keithdsouza says January 19, 2010
    Reply

    Yep the man himself. Twitter also added a verified account badge to the profile :-)

  4. orangy68 says January 19, 2010
    Reply

    Woop!! Is this a scoop! I wonder how long this will stay secret! Nice. 8o))

  6. HILQUIAS DARCLEY says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    now it will be the number one actor above someone bet? @speedhot

  7. Guest says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    haha go to his twitter page look at the followers its at like 50,000! then refresh the page and it will be up by a few thousand thats funny to watch.

  8. swagv says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    Ah, Twitter: tool for the “little people” who cannot afford to have people socially network on their behalf.

  9. Camnio Media says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    cool, I wonder if he's the real one

  10. Grant Martin says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    Nice of Twitter to reserve the user name BillGates for this long. Glad he didn't have to go with THE_REAL_BILL_GATES a la Shaquille O'Neal: http://twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ

  11. Greyform2001 says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    Compilation of all materials(Wiki,Twitter,facebook,articles) relevant to Bill Gates can be found at http://www.tinkrbox.com/tb/box.jsp?b=ey2BCd5SeBJi

  12. 巴别塔上的雇工 says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    Cool!

    I believe BillG chose twitter because it doesn't require him to approve all “following” request.

  13. solar panel steve says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    He is adding at rate of 5 – 10 users PER refresh. I just tracked it for 5 minutes, here is what I found. Starting at 7:00 PM PST up to 7:04, 95,146 at 7 even, 95,408 at 7:01, 95,641, 95,855, 96,084 & 96,262 respectively. That means he is growing by 232 followers the first minute, 233 on the second, 214 the third, 229 fourth & 178 at 7:05 PM. Only Bill Gates could grow at 223.3 followers per MINUTE. WOW.

  14. Paul de Aragon says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    cool!!

  15. Philippine Properties says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    He now has over 9000! followers.

  21. Madhav Tripathi says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    It's right time for him to join Twitter.

  22. roygbiv says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    passive aggresive much?

  23. hack87 says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    wow…great job mr bill

  24. Stew Shaw says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    If I'm not mistaken your headline should actually read Bill Gates Re-joins Twitter. On Feb 16 2009 he started tweeting as @borg1, an account that's still active with over 13K followers, including myself since Aug 1. I guess switching to using his real name's a bit more meaningful ;-)

  25. Stew Shaw says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    If I'm not mistaken your headline should actually read Bill Gates Re-joins Twitter. On Feb 16 2009 he started tweeting as @borg1, an account that's still active with over 13K followers, including myself since Aug 1. I guess switching to using his real name's a bit more meaningful ;-)

  26. thomaspower says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    Gates will be back running Microsoft from 2012 and there you go with Twitter under his belt too hmmm … MS-Twitter how does that sound?

  27. e cigarette says January 20, 2010
    Reply

    It is about time he jumped on the craze!

  28. Pierre Rattini-Biz Buzz Media says January 23, 2010
    Reply

    Bill Gates arrives on Twitter, what are you waiting for?

  29. socialmediapark says February 18, 2010
    Reply

    It's right time for him to join Twitter.

  30. Sanja Dadic says February 24, 2010
    Reply

    Please help me, I am from Croatia place Šibenik and I broke, I have no place to live with 2 children. My acount number is
    3201615066. You can only to help me if you want.

  31. Cho Yung Tea says April 06, 2010
    Reply

    so billgates doing advertisement of twitter

  32. Western Australia Flowers says April 08, 2010
    Reply

    It's right time for him to join Twitter and to connect with the people.

  33. work from home opportunities says April 09, 2010
    Reply

    Great!!!!!!!!!
    Bill Gates has joined twitter because he directly connecting people and feedback him company.

  34. Danny DeMichele Flikr says June 10, 2010
    Reply

    Great job.. Mr. Gates. It’s right time for him to join Twitter and connects with world and gets feedback for his company.

  35. executive desk says July 01, 2010
    Reply

    I am surprised to see that Bill Gates has already 50,000 followers in twitter & no of them rapidly increasing day by day at a very high extend. Great Bill Gates.

  36. Danny DeMichele Photos says July 09, 2010
    Reply

    I believe Bill Gates chose twitter because it doesn’t require him to approve all “following” request.

  37. VIVEK says July 15, 2010
    Reply

    i am vivek . i haVE SUPREME DESIRE TO TALK TO U , TO MEET U . SO SIR PLEASE CALL ME AT 9952957997 . I AM BIHAR , INDIA . PLEASE SIR .

  38. VIVEK says July 15, 2010
    Reply

    SIR I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO U ,TO MEET U . PLEASE CALL ME AT 09952957997

  39. VIVEK says July 15, 2010
    Reply

    GOOD EVENING

  40. Total Protect Home Warranty says July 23, 2010
    Reply

    It’s right time for him to join Twitter and to connect with the people.

  41. healthy chocolate says July 26, 2010
    Reply

    Bill Gates Joins Twitter – Uses The Web Interface-its an interesting post.Appreciable work

  42. power battery says August 14, 2010
    Reply

    Cool, almost i cannt believed.

  43. Ambella Vanity says August 17, 2010
    Reply

    so finally the father of microsoft is in twitter window

  44. Barclay Bathroom says August 17, 2010
    Reply

    so finally the originator of microsoft back in windows this time on twitter

  45. $unny says August 26, 2010
    Reply

    I am following him and the tweets given by him are awesome so no one want to miss it ………. one thought of him is that I am not so much intelligent but those who were intelligent are working for me………hats off

  46. sunny() says August 26, 2010
    Reply

    I am following him and the tweets of him are really nice ……..one thought of him is that i am not so much intelligent but those who were intelligent they are working for me ……….hats off

  47. Argington Bam Collection says August 26, 2010
    Reply

    It was so nice..
    twitter is very large to share some topics..

  48. Argington Crib says August 30, 2010
    Reply

    I think he has done the good thing.Twitter is good place to connect with more and more people around the world

  49. Home Foreclosure Search says August 31, 2010
    Reply

    He is the is the famed man from Microsoft,and I think Mr. Gates is on the right path to connect with the people around the world.

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