Stanford Daily Ponders Fate of Bill Gates Namesake Building On April Fools' Day
- Reference: 0181393900
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/04/06/2251200/stanford-daily-ponders-fate-of-bill-gates-namesake-building-on-april-fools-day
- Source link:
> " [2]Gates Computer Science Building renamed Peter Thiel Center for Panoptic Computing " reads the headline of an April Fools' Day story that ran in the Humor section of
>> The Stanford Daily
> (with the further disclaimer that "This article is purely satirical and fictitious"). The story begins: "Following revelations that the billionaire founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, had a [3]longstanding relationship with convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Stanford has announced it will strip Gates' name from the William H. Gates Computer Science Building and instead honor alumnus Peter Thiel B.A. '89, JD '92. Gates, who is not a Stanford alumnus, gave an initial gift of $6 million toward the building's construction in 1992."
>
> While fictional, the story does make one wonder what may become of the academic and institutional buildings worldwide named after Bill Gates in the blowback over his past ties to Epstein, which have already played a factor in the breakdown of his [4]marriage to Melinda French Gates and [5]friendship with Warren Buffet . In addition to The Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford, this includes the Bill and Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex at the University of Texas at Austin, Bill and Melinda Gates Hall at Cornell, [6]The Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, and The William H. Gates Building at MIT's Stata Center. Buildings named after Gates' parents include Mary Gates Hall and William H. Gates Hall at the University of Washington, and The William Gates Building at the University of Cambridge (UK).
>
> Aside from the Thiel angle, The Stanford Daily's April Fools' Day story may not be as far-fetched as it may seem -- many universities' naming policies include provisions allowing donors' names to be removed from buildings, programs, or other facilities under extraordinary circumstances. For example, the University of Washington's [7]Regent Policy No. 50 states, "The University reserves the right to revoke and terminate any naming on reasonable grounds not limited to the revelation of corporate or individual acts detracting from the University's mission, integrity, or reputation." Then again, UW notes that Bill's parents and siblings [8]served as UW Regents for decades , so one expects Bill will be granted some leeway here for what he has [9]characterized as 'foolish' choices on his part.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~theodp
[2] https://stanforddaily.com/2026/04/01/thiel-center/
[3] https://fortune.com/2026/03/10/jeffrey-epstein-bill-gates-microsoft-steven-sinofsky/
[4] https://news.slashdot.org/story/21/05/03/2037237/bill-gates-and-melinda-gates-end-their-marriage-after-27-years
[5] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/warren-buffett-says-bill-gates-180223236.html
[6] https://web.archive.org/web/20191014131816/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/bill-and-melinda-gates-give-15-million-to-complete-uw-building-that-bears-their-names/
[7] https://policy.uw.edu/directory/brg/regent-policies/naming-policy/
[8] https://www.washington.edu/giving/recognition/gates-volunteer-service-award/about-the-gates-family/
[9] https://abcnews.com/US/foolish-bill-gates-denies-wrongdoing-after-latest-release/story?id=129845144
Billionaire (Score:3)
I know this site like kes to single Gates/MS out, but the joke selection of Thiel raises an uncomfortable point. Pretty much ALL billionaire donors with the wherewithal to fund large university buildings projects are truly awful people.
How do you think they got to be billionaires in the first place?
Re: (Score:3)
There's a pretty meaningful difference between "engage in terrible business practices" and "molest girls." No molestation of children is required to become a billionaire, I'm pretty sure. (Also, let's be honest: The odds of Peter Thiel molesting a small girl are extremely low)
Re: (Score:2)
Personally, I fail to see how molesting little girls could be any part of a successful business model. I mean, if I thought it would make me rich, I'd do it... but I don't think it would help any.
How many licks does it take.. (Score:2)
> ..How do you think they got to be billionaires in the first place?
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
By.. counting their way there?
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWcldHxHFpo
Bill Gates gets the Cesar Chavez treatment? (Score:2)
We're currently scrambling to rename everything named after Chavez now that we've learned he a rapey kind of guy. I don't think Gates was a rapey as Chavez, but we might decide to rename things named in his honor too. That being said, what's the point of donating millions for a campus building if they can take your name off it anytime they want?
Unrelated (Score:2)
There's an interesting story out of Detroit roughly related.
A long time ago a Detroit-based millionaire donated a big chunk of land and a bunch of money to start the Detroit Zoo, and to build an adjacent golf course. When Detroit was going bankrupt, the city tried to sell off the golf course to make some money, as it is in an expensive subdivision now, and would have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. However, in the deed, the millionaire put in a clause saying if the city tried to do anything ot
past ties to Epstein... (Score:3)
...is not a crime
If he committed crimes, he should face justice in a court of law, with trustworthy evidence
The real quote! (Score:2)
"We aren't removing his name even though he's a terrible person because they might up our Microsoft E3 license costs even more" - Standford, probaby (paraphrased).