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Women seeking jobs at Bill Gates' private office asked sexually explicit questions during interview
Female job candidates interviewing for positions at billionaire Bill Gates’ private office claim to have been asked sexually explicit questions during the screening process, according to a report.
Disturbing allegations have come to light involving the hiring practices at Gates Ventures, the private office of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, female job candidates have claimed that they were subjected to sexually explicit questions during the interview process.
The questions, as cited by both the candidates and individuals familiar with the hiring process, included deeply personal and inappropriate inquiries. These ranged from whether the candidates had ever contracted a sexually transmitted disease to whether they had engaged in activities such as “dancing for dollars” or had extramarital affairs.
Further scrutiny was given to their private lives, with candidates reportedly being asked about their preference in pornography, and if they had any nude photographs on their phones.
The Wall Street Journal report linked the invasive questioning to the employment of Concentric Advisors, a security consulting firm employed by Gates Ventures in recent years to conduct background checks. The ostensible purpose behind such probing questions, as communicated by Concentric Advisors, was to assess candidates' truthfulness and vulnerability to blackmail, which is considered critical when hiring for positions that involve close proximity to one of the world's wealthiest individuals.
Gates Ventures, through a spokesperson, has expressed ignorance of the questionable practices, labeling them as a violation of their agreement with the third-party contractor. "We have never received information from any vendor or interviewee in our 15+ year history that inappropriate questions were asked during the screening process," the spokesperson said. They further stated that an exhaustive review of records indicated no employment offer had been retracted based on the information of this nature.
Concentric Advisors maintains that its practices comply with applicable laws. However, legal experts speaking to The Wall Street Journal noted that questions about an interviewee’s health or psychiatric history could potentially violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Interestingly, there is no overarching legislation that prohibits questions of a sexual nature during the interview process.
Bill Gates has recently faced public scrutiny regarding his personal life, including allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a Microsoft employee several decades ago and alleged extortion by Jeffrey Epstein over an extramarital affair.
In response to the Wall Street Journal’s revelations, a representative for Bill Gates reached out to Fox News Digital saying, "Our hiring process is conducted with the utmost respect for every candidate, with a zero-tolerance policy for all participants, including service providers, who break this principle. Further, any implication of a connection between Bill Gates' personal history and an independent background check process, identical for men and women, is outrageous."
The questions, as cited by both the candidates and individuals familiar with the hiring process, included deeply personal and inappropriate inquiries. These ranged from whether the candidates had ever contracted a sexually transmitted disease to whether they had engaged in activities such as “dancing for dollars” or had extramarital affairs.
Further scrutiny was given to their private lives, with candidates reportedly being asked about their preference in pornography, and if they had any nude photographs on their phones.
The Wall Street Journal report linked the invasive questioning to the employment of Concentric Advisors, a security consulting firm employed by Gates Ventures in recent years to conduct background checks. The ostensible purpose behind such probing questions, as communicated by Concentric Advisors, was to assess candidates' truthfulness and vulnerability to blackmail, which is considered critical when hiring for positions that involve close proximity to one of the world's wealthiest individuals.
Gates Ventures, through a spokesperson, has expressed ignorance of the questionable practices, labeling them as a violation of their agreement with the third-party contractor. "We have never received information from any vendor or interviewee in our 15+ year history that inappropriate questions were asked during the screening process," the spokesperson said. They further stated that an exhaustive review of records indicated no employment offer had been retracted based on the information of this nature.
Concentric Advisors maintains that its practices comply with applicable laws. However, legal experts speaking to The Wall Street Journal noted that questions about an interviewee’s health or psychiatric history could potentially violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Interestingly, there is no overarching legislation that prohibits questions of a sexual nature during the interview process.
Bill Gates has recently faced public scrutiny regarding his personal life, including allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a Microsoft employee several decades ago and alleged extortion by Jeffrey Epstein over an extramarital affair.
In response to the Wall Street Journal’s revelations, a representative for Bill Gates reached out to Fox News Digital saying, "Our hiring process is conducted with the utmost respect for every candidate, with a zero-tolerance policy for all participants, including service providers, who break this principle. Further, any implication of a connection between Bill Gates' personal history and an independent background check process, identical for men and women, is outrageous."
