GATES BIZ ‘SEX QUIZ’
‘Intrusive Q&A’
Bill Gates’ private office reportedly asked some female job candidates about their sexual histories — including what kind of pornography they liked, whether they ever had extramarital affairs and even if they had nude pictures of themselves on their phones.
During Gates’ extensive screening process, a security firm also asked some women if they ever “danced for dollars,” sources told The Wall Street Journal. Another candidate said she was asked whether she had ever contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
It was unclear if any male candidates were asked similarly personal questions during the hiring process for Gates’ (inset) private office, called Gates Ventures. None interviewed by the Journal said they had.
A spokeswoman for Gates Ventures said she hadn’t heard about such questions being asked during the background checks, which were conducted by thirdparty contractor Concentric Advisors.
The firm bills itself as “family office security” for “high-net-worth clients” on its website. Gates, with a net worth of $132 billion, is the No. 4 richest person in the world, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
These interviews were reportedly conducted in recent years, and Concentric’s interviewers were believed to be finding information that could be used to compromise or blackmail individuals working closely to Gates, the outlet reported.
“This line of questioning would be unacceptable and a violation of Gates Ventures’ agreement with the contractor,” the spokeswoman told the Journal.
She said Gates Ventures abides by industry standards during pre-employment screenings and that all vendors are required to operate in compliance with state and federal law.
“We have never received information from any vendor or interviewee in our 15+ year history that inappropriate questions were asked during the screening process,” she said. “We can confirm, that after a comprehensive review of our records, no employment offer has ever been rescinded based on information of this nature.”
Concentric boss Mike LeFever told the Journal that the company provides industry-standard background checks that are identical no matter a person’s gender.
A spokesman for Concentric denied that it asks questions about sexual or medical history, though the information can be volunteered. The spokesman added Concentric does not provide hiring recommendations, only conducts security screenings.
However, job candidates said they were asked about personal information and were told their employment offers were conditional on passing the assessment, according to the Journal.