The Man Behind The Bill Gates Email Forwarding Hoax

from the found,-at-last! dept

Tue, Jun 29th 2004 11:56am — Mike Masnick

Over the years, there have been plenty of different variants on the chain letter urban legend saying that Bill Gates will give you cash for forwarding on the email. A reporter at Wired Magazine began to wonder just how these hoax emails got started. While most of the article goes through how people get suckered into passing on chain letters all the time (and what their reasoning is), he eventually (towards the end of the article) tracks down the guy who started the very first "Bill Gates will give you money for forwarding this email" email. The guy started it as a joke, and never ever expected it to get as far as it did. When it first took off at a ridiculous rate he got scared that he would get in trouble for fraud -- but he's been mostly erased by history. Most of the emails were quickly modified to remove his name (which brings up completely different questions...). When asked why he didn't want to claim "credit" for one of the longest-living, constantly mutating hoaxes, he responds with what the author calls "one of the greatest social critiques of our age": "I didn't really think of that. It's just a hoax. And if I admitted to it, why would anyone believe me?"

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8 Comments

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caroline, 6 Jul 2004 @ 8:33am

re;help
I would like to seek help from Bill gates.
please help me by making sure he reads this.
thank you very much.He can send me money to take my children to school.
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- Wolfgang Gro�, 27 Jul 2004 @ 1:41am
  
  Re: re;help
  Finanz hilfe (help)SPENDEN dursch meine Krankheit !
  die seid den 13.03.03 fortlaufend anh�lt.
  Ist meine Familie, nach den verbrauch vom gesprarten Geld,in Finanzjeller Not geraten ben�tigen - - - - �
  dringend gute Menschen die helfen k�nnen!
  Jeder Cent z�hlt.
  Postbank
  Konto Nr:3011011682
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  Inhaber Wolfgang Gro�
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Wolfgang Gro� � Privat � 47623 Kevelaer
  � gowo1@aol.com � 02832978353 � 0403603856905
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Ron, 30 Jan 2007 @ 7:31pm

Dear Mr. Bill Gates or Microsoft.

My name is Ron Haluyan I’m eleven years old, I came from Israel about six months ago and I am straight A student so far.
I worked with some specials offices and I made some money. I would like to know if I can assist you at your company and if you would like to invest on me for future?
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- Ron Haluyan, 24 Aug 2013 @ 10:38pm
  
  Re: delete
  Hi I posted this years ago. Please delete.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ron, 30 Jan 2007 @ 7:32pm

Dear Mr. Bill Gates or Microsoft.

My name is Ron Haluyan I’m eleven years old, I came from Israel about six months ago and I am straight A student so far.
I worked with some specials offices and I made some money. I would like to know if I can assist you at your company and if you would like to invest on me for future?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rienzie Joachim, 22 Feb 2008 @ 12:07am

If Possible only
Dear Sir

My dreem was to have a small house of my own, i am marrie and have a daughter, my wife dos not work only pray
I coime from Sri Lanka, If for my good thoughts God will help me to full fill our dream

God Bles You
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Frederick Asante Offei, 1 Apr 2008 @ 3:19am

Sponsor me on an online Degree in IT
I am a 29 year old man who has struggled through life to get educated. I wasn't able to complete formal education because of poverty but have tried for years to save some money from odd jobs which I have used to sponsor myself to attain an HONORS DIPLOMA in Information Technology(Software Technology) from NIIT-Kumasi Center, a private IT institution in my country Ghana. It was a one year program and I had EXCELLENT grades. I want to upgrade myself to a bachelors degree in IT so I took last years'(2007)university entrance examination as a private candidate. I am poor so I could not afford the books that I needed to study for the exams. But in all the six subjects that I wrote, I failed in only one. My interest is in IT though the exams does not make room for IT subjects specifically, I want to further my education through distant learning universities who offer online degree programs. BUT I cannot afford it. I have even enquired from LVMT Business School in London who have accepted to admit me provided I can pay my fees for the yearly fees of 2,850.00 British Pounds BUT I cannot afford it so I am pleading to be sponsored on an online degree program in IT. I need this education.
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hamdhaan, 17 Nov 2008 @ 8:12pm

ples give money. i dont have. help me
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