Microsoft executives advised Bill Gates to end inappropriate communication with a female employee in 2008, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper first reported that two senior figures at Microsoft met with billionaire Mr Gates after they heard of the flirtatious emails with the mid-level member of staff.
The report also said that after being approached by then-general counsel Brad Smith and then-chief people officer Lisa Brummel, Gates didn’t deny the communication, admitting that it was a bad idea in hindsight and that it would not happen again.
After he stepped down as Microsoft Chairman in 2020, Gates said he would be devoting more of his time to his philanthropic efforts.
However, the report suggests that he was pushed out by board members due to his alleged actions, dating back more than a decade.
Microsoft has confirmed the newspaper’s report to the Associated Press news agency.
The Wall Street Journal had already reported that Mr Gates left the Microsoft board amid a company inquiry into an affair with a former employee.
The Microsoft founder has also faced recent criticism due to a number of supposed meetings in the past with the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports from the The New York Times.
In a statement, Mr Gates’ private office said: “These claims are false, recycled rumours from sources who have no direct knowledge, and some in cases have significant conflicts of interest.”
Image source: The New York Times
