Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World By Anupreeta Das

In Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King, the finance editor of The New York Times offers a compelling examination of Bill Gates, one of the most influential and enigmatic figures of the past four decades, while also probing the broader cultural obsession with billionaires. Gates, initially celebrated as a tech visionary, later became known as a ruthless capitalist, before ultimately reinventing himself as a global philanthropist through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This transformation has shaped public perceptions of tech founders and set new standards for billionaire philanthropy.

However, as Das reveals through extensive reporting and hundreds of interviews with Gates's associates—from Microsoft employees and Gates Foundation insiders to academics and nonprofit leaders—there’s a darker, more complex side to Gates’s story. The book explores Gates's intricate relationships with figures like Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Epstein, and Melinda French Gates, peeling back the layers of his public persona to expose the hidden truths about his influence and motivations.

Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King also challenges readers to rethink the power dynamics at play when billionaires wield their immense wealth to shape public policy, craft their image, and, at times, repair their reputations. Das's analysis underscores the ways in which the richest individuals, like Gates, can subtly manipulate media, government, and society, all while being lauded as saviors.

Insightful and timely, this book is a critical exploration of money, power, and the mythologization of billionaires, revealing how they captivate and control the public imagination.