A Tour of Bill Gates' House Costs $35,000

A physical tour of Bill Gates’ mansion in Medina comes with a price tag of no less than $35,000. But of course the lucky recipient gets all the money’s worth. This because Big Gates himself will act as the official guide for the tour. You didn’t really believe that the world’s top billionaire would simply allow guest to roam free through his home? No, Gates will be alongside his visitors every step of the tour. But don’t believe for a second that the Microsoft co-founder and chairman will pocket a single cent of the $35,000. All the money will go to charity, via one of the company’s employee donation program, according to SeattlePI.

As you can see from the video embedded at the bottom of this article, Gates’ house is far from your everyday abode. In fact, it is an example of the technology home of the future, much in the same idea as the Microsoft Dream Home that the company has been exhibiting. Still, nothing less than a house with technology at its heart would be expected from the co-founder of Microsoft and the wealthiest man in the world, according to Forbes.

A tour of Gates’ home was up for auction through Microsoft’s fall donation initiative. And if you’re asking why you didn’t get a chance to bid the answer is rather simple. The donation program is limited to Microsoft. Only the company’s employees have access to the auction. Microsoft Chief Information Officer Tony Scott, during a presentation for IT executives at the Society for Information Management's SIMposium in Seattle, revealed that the highest bid for the tour was $35,000 for 2009. Last year the tour went for much cheaper, a mere $8,000. However, despite the recession, one Microsoft employee is ready to cough up no less than $35,000 just for a visit to Gates’ mansion on the shore of Lake Washington.

“Microsoft and its employees have long recognized the importance of the communities in which we work and live and since 1983 have been leaders in the high-tech industry in making contributions. Microsoft supports and encourages employee involvement in all Community Affairs programs and offers many opportunities for employees to make a positive impact in their communities,” the company explains on its Employee Engagement Programs webpage.