An American business tycoon, a software developer, an author, and a so-called “philanthropist”, Bill Gates is considered by many to be one of the most successful people in the world. He’s also one of the wealthiest.
In recent years, however, Gates has come under a tremendous amount of scrutiny because of his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and his role in public health.
Gates had — for many years — warned the world of an impending pandemic. He invested some of his fortune in vaccines, launched the “Decade of Vaccines” initiative, is the World Health Organization’s (WHOs) largest donor, and is a mega-funder of numerous media outlets, medical journals, and scientific organizations.
Whether you love him or hate him, you might be wondering how Gates manages to juggle such a busy lifestyle. Here’s a snapshot of his daily routine.
Inside a day in the life of Bill Gates
Key takeaways
- Gates' day starts with an hour-long cardio workout, then spends time catching up on the latest news.
- He divides his working day into intervals of 5 minutes to make the most of his time.
- Evenings are spent relaxing with his family or attending business meetings. He aims to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Mornings
Bill Gates supposedly begins his day with an early morning cardio session on the treadmill at the private gym in his Washington estate. It’s said that he works out for about an hour each morning.
After exercising, he catches up on the latest news by reading newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Economist. While he skims through much of the news, he primarily focuses on topics around health.
Afternoons
In the afternoon, Gates is known for dividing the day into intervals of 5 minutes. He jots down the results every 5 minutes and keeps tabs on his plans.
Elon Musk — another tycoon and one of the world’s richest people to have ever lived — uses a similar strategy to organize his day.
Gates says that he reads each day. It’s been said that he reads about 50 books every year, which translates to about one book a week. Some of his favorite titles include "Upheaval," "Nine Pints," and "How to Lie with Statistics," which he recommended in 2015.
Gates also tries to spend time with his children. However, now that he and his wife of 27 years, Melinda, have finalized their divorce, it’s unclear what the billionaire’s relationship with his family is like.
Evenings
Bill Gates once reportedly washed the dishes after dinner each night, a household chore that Jeff Bezos also reportedly performed. However, that may have changed since the divorce from his wife.
He also tries to spend time relaxing, meeting with business associates, and perhaps even watching films in the evening.
It’s unclear what time he turns in for the night, but he has said that he gets at least seven hours of sleep a night because failure to do so negatively affects his attention span, alertness, and health.
