Bill Gates created a decent amount of hatred and anger towards him over the holiday season this year. Not because of Microsoft itself or indeed any of his business endeavors. No, everyone is so annoyed with Mr. Gates because of the gifts he gave to his kids for Christmas this year. Perhaps a petty spark for an argument, but it does raise a good question about the lives of the families of big business CEOs.

You see, Gates’ two daughters and his son all wanted Apple products for Christmas this year; iPads, Macbooks, apparently the norm for many this year. However, I’d imagine they weren’t too pleased with what Daddy Claus left them under his big Microsoft tree. Nope, not Apple products, rather Microsoft Surfaces. Melinda Gates had this to say to Radio 4 in the UK about the kerfuffle:

“Asked whether her two daughters and son had asked for an iPod, she replied “of course they ask”.

“But they get Windows technology,” she added.

“The wealth from our family came from Microsoft so why would we invest in a competitor?”

Cult of Mac’s John Brownlee answers her question for us:

“Because it’s Christmas, and on Christmas, you try to get people the things they actually want instead of the things you egocentrically want for them to want”

Now, this raises the question of whether the parents of the Gates family were ‘Grinches’ because they gave Windows products rather than iOS or Mac OS X. The easy answer would be: “no, because it’s the thought that counts” followed by a handful of points about morality of kids and how Christmas isn’t about being materialistic etc.

But when you dig deeper into the question, you’ll think further than just the predictable clichés. I know we’d all hate to admit it, but I reckon that for most of us, Christmas is about giving and receiving gifts. Sure, you’ll spend time with family and possibly celebrate religious events, but for many, the presents make it special. And when the child of a multi-billionaire asks for a present, I’d imagine that they expect it. But does that make Bill Gates a ‘Grinch’? Well, probably not, but he still shouldn’t have let his business mindset get in the way of his kids’ Christmas, nor should he have forced his ideas upon them, but that’s just my opinion.

Once again I’ll refer to Cult of Mac to leave you with this to think about: “how can a guy like Bill Gates, one of the most generous philanthropists on Earth, so misunderstand the point of seasonal giving?”

Whatever you think about the situation, leave your opinion in the comments below.

Via: Cult of Mac