Ravi Venkatesan, the former chairman of Microsoft India, has recalled an unusual but memorable incident where he managed to defeat Bill Gates in an argument and walked away with a priceless memoir. Venkatesan headed Microsoft India from 2004 to 2011 before stepping away at the peak of his corporate career to pursue social entrepreneurship.
Speaking on a podcast with Shrishti Sahu, he narrated how a late-night argument with Gates turned into a lighthearted memory that he still treasures today.
A tired evening turns into a debate
The story goes back to 2006 or 2007 when Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda, were on a trip to India. “Bill had landed in Delhi quite early and by the time we boarded his plane to go to Chennai, he was already quite exhausted. I was even more exhausted,” Venkatesan recalled during the podcast.
It was late at night, around 11:30 pm, when the group – Gates, Melinda and Venkatesan- were sitting inside the aircraft, waiting for ATC clearance to take off. Fatigue and long hours soon set the stage for a trivial disagreement between Gates and Venkatesan.
“Bill was not in a good mood, and we got into an argument. The argument in hindsight was really silly, but Bill doesn’t like losing an argument,” Venkatesan admitted.
For most people, disagreeing with the founder of the company they work for would seem unthinkable. But Venkatesan explained that exhaustion made him unusually bold that evening. “This time I said, ‘So what if he’s Bill Gates?’ and I also didn’t let go because I was also tired,” he said.
The exchange stretched on, with both men refusing to back down. What started as a small difference of opinion soon turned into a test of persistence, with the exhausted Microsoft India head determined not to yield simply because of Gates’ stature.
Bill gates admits he was wrong
Eventually, the argument reached its turning point. To Venkatesan’s surprise, Gates finally conceded. “At some point, he said, ‘Well, I guess you’re right.’ And he became quiet,” Venkatesan recalled with a smile.
For Venkatesan, it wasn’t just about winning the argument. It was also a rare moment when the founder of one of the world’s biggest tech companies admitted defeat, something few executives could ever claim to have experienced.
A $1 bill becomes a priceless souvenir
The lighthearted episode didn’t end there. Melinda Gates, witnessing the unusual moment, playfully handed her husband a $1 bill and asked, “Bill, what do you do?”
What followed turned the incident into a lasting memory. Bill Gates took the banknote and wrote on it: “I was wrong, Bill Gates.” He then handed it over to Venkatesan as a souvenir of the unusual exchange.
Today, years later, Venkatesan still keeps the signed note carefully framed. He jokingly refers to it as his “retirement plan,” a witty reminder of the night when he held his ground against one of the world’s most powerful tech leaders and walked away with a one-of-a-kind memoir.