Bill Gates discusses whether he'd run for president
The Microsoft co-founder also chats about fighting Alzheimer's disease, eating genetically modified food, and the one meal he makes for himself.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
President Bill Gates?
President Bill Gates ? Gates/Buffett 2020? A Western White House in Seattle?
Sorry, it's not happening. Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates answered online questions via Reddit's Ask Me Anything on Tuesday, and he doesn't show any interest in running for US president.
In Gates' sixth Reddit AMA, he was asked if he'd consider a run, and his answer was clear.
"I won't be running for President because I am super committed to the work Melinda and I are doing at the (Bill & Melinda Gates) Foundation and outside the Foundation," Gates wrote. "I agree it is important to have a President who thinks long term about the US role in the world and the research to solve disease burdens and costs and to tackle climate change and improve education."
Gates is awfully busy at that foundation of his -- he's now on a mission to fight Alzheimer's disease, which has affected his own 92-year-old father.
"The good news is that the new tools we have are helping us understand the disease far better -- for example the role of the glial cells," Gates said. "I am optimistic that in the next 20 years we will have drugs to help if we stay focused on it including pooling data and helping start-ups get funded. I am involved in a number of these areas."
Perhaps Gates' most surprising answer came when he was asked if he eats non-GMO (genetically modified) food.
"GMO foods are perfectly healthy and the technique has the possibility to reduce starvation and malnutrition when it is reviewed in the right way," Gates said. "I don't stay away from non-GMO foods but it is disappointing that people view it as better."
You can read through the entire Reddit AMA online, but one question was especially fun. Gates was asked, "do you ever like, just randomly get up when you're home and make yourself a peanut butter sandwich? Or do you have people do that for you?"
"I do make myself tomato soup sometimes," Gates admitted. "It is kind of a comforting food and reminds me of doing the same when I was growing up."
It's kind of funny to think of one of the richest men in the world cranking the can opener on a can of Campbell's. But then again, you say to-ma-to, I say to-mah-to.
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