Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently shared an anecdote from his high school years, revealing how he once struggled with dating and was turned down for prom. In his new memoir ‘Source Code,’ published earlier this month, the billionaire reflected on asking one of the most popular girls in his senior class, Vicki Weeks, to the dance—only to be rejected.
In an interview with People, Gates admitted he knew it was a “long shot” and that he was “very inept” at asking people out. The situation took an unusual turn when he repeatedly tried to call Weeks but kept encountering a busy signal.
“I dialed over and over, and at one point added the challenge of dialing the phone with my foot,” Gates wrote in his memoir.
When he finally reached her, his nerves got the better of him. “I told her I’d been trying her all night but couldn’t get through and had even dialed with my toes, perhaps not the best way to make the case for myself as a dashing date,” he recalled.
Weeks ultimately declined, asking for time to see if another person would invite her—an offer she later accepted. Gates, however, still attended prom with another classmate, whom he described as a “very cool junior.”
Looking back, Gates holds no grudges. “She couldn’t have been kinder, but she made it clear she saw me as a friend,” he said.
Speaking to People, he explained his reasoning for mentioning the toe-dialing detail, saying: “I hesitated, and then I tried to use a little bit of humor.”
Although his prom attempt failed, the two eventually became friends. Gates also noted that after he became one of the world’s most successful businessmen, Weeks often heard jokes about rejecting him. “Poor Vicki would be given a hard time about that for decades thereafter,” he said.