Woman ‘struck gold’ after discovering secret Santa was billionaire Bill Gates
Here is the story of how one woman 'struck gold' after receiving a secret Santa gift from none other than billionaire Bill Gates.
Let's face it, taking part in secret Santa is an absolute nightmare for most of us.
Coming up with Christmas gift ideas for your closest friends and family is bad enough without having to factor in a random gift for a co-worker you don't know too well.
And yet, the people of Reddit spent over a decade willingly volunteering to take part in an international gift exchange with complete and utter strangers - and it turns out, some lucky souls were able to hit the jackpot big time.
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Established in 2009 and active until 2022, the r/secretsanta subreddit saw users from around the world sign themselves up to swap gifts, with the global present swap even attracting celebrities such as the Microsoft founder, Jimmy Fallon, and Snoop Dogg.
So, what is it like to receive a gift from a billionaire? Thankfully, one very lucky woman was more than happy to share her experience.
Back in 2019, user Shelby took part in her 95th gift exchange and received a bulky 81lbs (36kg) parcel from the tech mogul which was too big too even fit in her car.
So, what sort of gifts does a man worth anywhere between $100 billion (£78 billion) and $150 billion (£118 billion) gift somebody?
Well, thankfully Shelby was kind enough to share her haul in a two-part video series on YouTube.
Check out some of the gifts she received below:
The impressive gifts from Bill Gates to Shelby included:
- Bill's Deck of Books 2019!
- A Harry Potter santa hat
- Hylian shield earrings
- A very heavy and beautiful handmade Zelda quilt
- A hammock (with bug net!)
- Almond Rocca, Seattle mint chocolates, Jelly Belly's
- Toys for my cat, Emmy!
- Seven packs of assorted Oreos
- A cat-themed logic game
- Eight hardcover books
- An extremely fancy manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby
- A candle with a passage from The Great Gatsby inscribed
- Two exceptional adult-level LEGO sets: Microscale Hogwarts and the retired UCS R2D2
- A plethora of Twin Peaks gifts including a shirt and sweatshirt; a book by director Jonathan Sanger and some memorabilia from his collection including 5 scripts from season 2 of Twin Peaks, and an embroidered L.L. Bean jacket worn by crew members during the second season of the show.
Perhaps the most touching gift Gates sent was a donation to the American Heart Association in memory of Shelby's mother, who passed away in March 2019.
"I've included some fun things to enjoy both at home and outdoors - plus a couple of great books I think you'll like," Gates wrote in the accompanying letter.
"At the same time, I know no gift will ever make up for losing someone so important to you. I was very sorry to hear about your mom, and I've made a donation to the American Heart Association in her memory. I hope you and your family find your 'new normal' this holiday season."
Topics: Bill Gates, Christmas, Reddit, Community
Brenna Cooper