Teen Beat

Do photographs show Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates posing for 'Teen Beat' magazine?

By David Mikkelson

Claim:   Photographs show Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates posing for ‘Teen Beat’ magazine.


Status:   Real photos; inaccurate description.

Example:   [blog.monkeymethods.org, 2005]




Bill Gates Strikes a Pose for Teen Beat Photospread, 1983






Bill Gates, 1985 Bill Gates, 1985



Origins:   Many readers have asked us about these pictures of Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates since they were posted on a blog with a caption identifying them as photos taken for a ‘Teen Beat Photospread’ (i.e., a layout in a magazine featuring stories and pictures of ‘teen idol’-type celebrities, marketed primarily to prepubescent girls).

These images are actually publicity photos taken of the then 30-year-old Bill Gates coincident with the initial release of Microsoft Windows in 1985. The Corbis photo archive identifies their depiction thusly: “Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, reclines on his desk in his office soon after the release of Windows 1.0. 1985 Bellevue, Washington, USA.”

Last updated:   19 January 2005

 

By David Mikkelson
Filed Under ASP Article , People

Dear Reader,

Snopes.com has long been engaged in the battle against misinformation, an effort we could not sustain without support from our audience. Producing reliable fact-checking and thorough investigative reporting requires significant resources. We pay writers, editors, web developers, and other staff who work tirelessly to provide you with an invaluable service: evidence-based, contextualized analysis of facts. Help us keep Snopes.com strong. Make a direct contribution today. Learn More.

Donate with PayPal