Bill Gates admits memorising employees’ license plates to keep tabs

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed that he memorised employees’ car license plates to keep a tab on them.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed that he memorised employees’ car license plates to keep a tab on them. (REUTERS)

Bill Gates admitted to being "fanatical about work" as a young man running Microsoft. He worked on the weekends, didn't believe in vacations and even memorised car's license plates in the office to keep a tab on his employees. During an interview on BBC's Desert Island Discs, he said, "You know, I knew everyone's licence plates so I could look out in the parking lot and see when did people come in, when were they leaving. Eventually I had to loosen up, as the company got to a reasonable size."

The 60-year-old billionaire known for his philanthropic endeavours in humanitarian missions mellowed down after he met his wife and reassessed the priorities in their life. The rest of the BBC show is available on BBC Radio 4.