A Bill Gates business card obtained on Nov. 6, 1980, during a visit to the Microsoft co-founder’s Bellevue, Wash., office. (Lelands Photo)
In a nod to simpler times, one such card is up for auction, featuring Gates’ office address and telephone number from Microsoft’s early days in Bellevue, Wash. The beige card, created during a simple meeting, incorporates the MS logo and features the name “William H. Gates,” which is more commonly associated with his father than his son.
The 45-year-old card is being offered by Lelands, a New Jersey auction house, as part of a “Summer Classic Auction” set to run through August 16 and features items like the L.A. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s 300th career home run ball and a rare Shoeless Joe Jackson 1914 signed baseball. Gates’ business card has sold for a single $500 bid, making it a unique opportunity to reconnect with the tech-savvy portrait of a vision erased just 40 years ago.
The card was acquired by Lelands, a distinguished auction house specializing in sports memorabilia and trading cards, directly by the consignor from a business meeting in 1980. It was hand-dated by that person in black ink, a significant detail in tech and computer history, as Microsoft signed a deal with IBM in 1980 to create the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS). This clause enabled Microsoft to sell this operating system to other companies under the name, thus solidifying its legacy and leading to the creation of Windows 11.
Microsoft’s card started in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1975 and relocated to Bellevue, Wash., in January 1979. The office was located on Northeast 8th Street in the Heart of the business district, now referred to as the Plaza Buildings. The phone number on the card includes a 206 area code for Seattle, and a 425 area code for Seattle before a split in 1997, creating 425. This card remains a fascinating relic of 20th-century tech history, symbolizing the simplicity and adaptability of pioneering tech companies.
According to Lelands, the card was obtained directly by the consignor during a simple meeting on Nov. 6, 1980, and was hand-dated by the person in black ink that day. This card remains a unique and scarce commodity, offering a glimpse into the life and corporation of Bill Gates with its signature business card.
