Bill Gates Thinks Working Less Sounds Awful

Earlier this month, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates told CNBC that working less than full time “sounds awful” and that he — at age 68 — would like to work another 20 to 30 years.

My opinion may be in the minority, but… maybe he should sit this one out?

While he and ex-wife Melinda French Gates have arguably done more good through their famed foundation than most billionaires on the planet, when it comes to assessing the lives of everyday people, the world’s seventh-richest person is comically out of touch.

Six years ago, while appearing on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Gates was tasked with guessing the prices of a handful of groceries. After admitting that he hadn’t stepped food in a supermarket in years, it played out exactly as you might expect. He estimated that:

• A box of Rice-A-Roni was $5 rather than $1 …
• A 72-pack of Tide PODs, priced at $19.97, cost $4 …
• And a bag of Totino’s Pizza Rolls, retailing for $8.99, cost $22.

My point is that while it’s hardly surprising that billionaires are out of touch with the costs of household staples, when it comes to retirement, they’re apparently equally clueless.

According to Gettysburg College, average Americans spend 90,000 hours of their lives working — or roughly ⅓ of their lifespans. If Gates wants to work until he’s 98, more power to him. But for the rest of us, who have toiled for decades and diligently saved, being able to work less than full time come retirement age sounds pretty amazing.

In fact, it’s something we should reward ourselves for achieving.

The IRS is tracking down high-income tax dodgers. The agency recently reported that it’s made “significant progress” by collecting $172 million due from 21,000 wealthy Americans who hadn’t filed taxes since 2017.

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