A few weeks ago for our Microsoft Monday feature, we posted an article titled "Little Known Facts about Bill Gates." While we all know Bill Gates as the King of Microsoft, there were still some things many people didn’t know – like his SAT score was 1590 and the top score for the test is 1600. Continuing on the same theme of Bill Gates, today we’re going to take a look inside his house with some photos and facts.
First, for starters, Bill Gates’ house is in Medina, Washington on a 5.12 acre lot and overlooks Lake Washington. According to Wikipedia, Bill originally bought the land back in 1988 for a measly $2 million, and the mansion was built over seven years. By 1995 it was complete. As you can imagine, this is one wired house filled with new technology.
One of the most interesting things you’d experience if you lived in this house is that you wear a pin containing a microchip which acts as your ID. When you walk into a room, lighting, sound, and temp controls are customized for you. Any high resolution display that you walk by will know that you’re there, and your favorite art is displayed. And if you’re getting a phone call, only the phone nearest to you will ring. This is all thanks to the pin with the microchip.
Now we’ll take a look at some of the rooms in this house:
LibraryIf you were to peek inside the domed library, you’d find two "secret" bookcases with one of them containing a bar. Here you could sit in front of the fireplace and admire the Codex Leicester belonging to Leonardo da Vinci. Gates paid $30.8 million for it back in 1994.
Pool HouseThe pool building is 3,900 square feet and has a 17 foot by 60 foot swimming pool. While you’re swimming, you can listen to your favorite music underwater with the underwater music system.
Reception HallThis is where Gates plays hosts to VIP’s and other social events. The room features a large video wall made up of 24 individual screens measuring 40 inches each. At 2,300 feet, this room is capable of holding up to 200 people for a cocktail party, or 150 people for a sit-down dinner.
–Random Facts– * The house is 50,000 square feet
* In 2005, the house and land were assessed at $200 million
* Annually, Gates pays nearly $1 million dollars in taxes for the property
* Over 64 km of optical fiber was used in the house
* 300 workers at one time were working on the house – 104 of them were electricians
* Every door handle in the house was custom made and cost $2,000 each
* There are no visible electric outlets in the house
Additional rooms in the house:
Trampoline Room
I’m not quite sure why you’d need a trampoline room, but I suppose when you’re Bill Gates and you’re the richest man in the world, you can have nearly anything you want. Part of his exercise facilities includes a trampoline room with a 20 foot ceiling.
Formal Dining RoomShould Bill have 24 of his closest friends coming over for dinner, they can dine in his formal dining room in front of the fireplace. It’s on the third floor and has plenty of windows so that guests can enjoy the view. It’s 1,000 square feet.
Underground Garage
Apparently Gates likes to park his cars underground. Part of this mansion is a 6,300 square foot underground garage. This is only one of three garages that are on the property, and it’s got room for 10+ cars.
–Random Facts– * Hidden cameras are all over the property
* Floor sensors can track you – up to 6 inches
* As Gates is on his way home from work, he can fill his tub with water to his desired temp so it’s ready when he gets home
* Woodwork in this house (which is abundant) is flawless
* There are glass windows galore, and 7 varieties of stone were used to build the house
* The actual "living" space is modest
* All flooring is heated including the driveway and sidewalks
* Much of the house is built underground into a hill so it looks smaller than it is
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