A photo which has circulated online since 2013 shows Bill Gates offering $5,000 per Facebook share. Today we take a closer look at this image.

It’s fake.

The fake photo shows Gates holding a sign which reads:

Hey Facebook,

As some of you know I’m Bill Gates. If you click that share link, I will give you $5,000. I always deliver, I mean, I brought you Windows XP, right?

The image above, however, has been digitally altered. The real image was posted by Gates on Reddit, when he appeared in his first ever AMA (Ask Me Anything) on February 11, 2013. The actual photo was used as his verification in the process, and simply had a drawing with the words:

Hi Reddit!

This is Bill Gates.

Google Search History

The Google Trends chart below shows the numerous surges in Google searches regarding the fake photo above. As you can see, the search phrase coincides with Gates’ appearance on Reddit.

Bottom Line

The photo of Bill Gates holding a sign offering $5000 per share is fake. The original image  simply read, “Hi Reddit! This is Bill Gates,” and was first posted back in February 2013.

Updated June 2, 2015
Originally published February 2013