During Microsoft’s formative years, Bill Gates was known for his relentless work ethic, which often translated into immense pressure on his employees. In an essay for Vanity Fair, late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen wrote that the company once harbored a demanding work culture due to Gates’ intense management style.
“Microsoft was a high-stress environment because Bill drove others as hard as he drove himself. He was growing into the taskmaster who would prowl the parking lot on weekends to see who’d made it in,” he wrote. “People were already busting their tails, and it got under their skin when Bill hectored them into doing more.” At one point, Gates questioned an employee’s need for a day off after pulling an 81-hour work week. “Bill said, ‘Why would you want to do that?'” Allen recalled. “He genuinely couldn’t understand it; he never seemed to need to recharge.”
As if checking the parking lot wasn’t bad enough, Gates also used to memorize everyone’s license plates so he could keep a close eye on them. He admitted this in an interview with BBC Radio 4, recalling how much of a tyrant he was when he was younger. “You know, I knew everyone’s license plates so I could look out in the parking lot and see: When did people come in, when were they leaving,” he said. “I was quite fanatical about work. I worked weekends. I didn’t really believe in vacations.”
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