The Truth About Bill Gates's Mug Shot

Bill Gates is one of those modern-day legends. Love him or not, admire him or not, the guy has an impressive string of accomplishments on his resume, going back to high school (not that he probably feels the need to keep his resume updated these days, but you never know) and beyond. The man has kind of embodied the term "tech savvy," and does pretty well in the "business acumen" category, and the whole "so what if I wear glasses?" is beyond moot. He sold his first software when he was still in high school, per Biography, co-founded Microsoft (perhaps you've heard of it?), and made billionaire at 31.

Oh, and he loves him some cars. His Medina, Washington, residence (it measures 66,000 square feet, so "residence" seems like maybe an understatement) includes a very nice place for his car collection to live — a 23-car garage. He recently acquired a Porsche Taycan, sort of a German automotive answer to Elon Musk's Tesla product, only a lot pricier. He also spent about a decade trying to import a high-end Porsche, the 959, eventually going so far as to get legislation passed that provided legal loopholes for the import of certain really really really ridiculously good-looking (and fast) vehicles. In 2019 CNBC estimated that his car collection was worth about $650,000 (that was before the Taycan purchase) and included a Jag, a Ferrari, and Porsches. Lots of Porsches.

Gates wisely advised us, "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." Or, if you're a Porsche salesman, selling cars to one. Because as Gates started to hit it big back in his early 20s, he acquired a Porsche. And he liked to drive it. And drive it fast — because Porsche, right? The Albuquerque, New Mexico police disagreed with that Gates life choice and pulled him over in December 1977. Some sources claim the details have been lost over time, but Softpedia reports that Gates was ticketed and arrested on three counts: speeding (because Porsche, right?), blowing through a stop sign, and driving without a license. Cherry on top of this particular sundae: He got his mug shot taken.

It isn't without its upside, at least for Microsoft users of days gone by: Gates's mug shot outline perfectly matches the outline for the generic People Pane on Outlook 2010, as discovered by Arstechnica. Rumor is that Gates continues to enjoy high-speed car rides to this day, and acquire speeding tickets. We're guessing he's still got the money to afford the insurance bump.