Woman On Reddit Gift Exchange Had Bill Gates As Secret Santa & Her Gift Weighed 81 Pounds

Shelby made sure to share her story online. Supposedly, the gift was overnighted — which was the first clue that something strange was happening. "I also noticed that it was being shipped from Washington state, and as a seasoned RedditGifter, I remark to my husband, 'Huh, wouldn’t it be something if my Santa was Bill Gates?'" she said. But she figured the chances were pretty slim.

The gift arrived the same day as her work holiday party, December 18. That morning was when she realized it weighed 81 pounds. "This is when it hits me that this is something truly special," she wrote. But since she had plans, she had to wait a little longer to figure out the mystery. "It’s only 9:30 a.m. and I can’t just ditch to go home to accept this surely gigantic package," she said.

She told some of her co-workers at the party that she may have gotten a package from Bill Gates, but was mostly quiet about the whole situation. What were the chances? But, FedEx told her that the package was, in fact, from someone by the name of Bill Gates. "After the party, I rip to FedEx," she said. "Upon giving the clerk my tracking number, he shouts, “OH MY GOD! You’re the BILL GATES package!!!!!! We’ve been waiting for you all day."

There was one massive issue with Bill's gigantic gift — it didn't fit in Shelby's car. Shelby drives a Mustang, and the package wasn't able to fit in either the passenger seat or her trunk. She called her husband for backup, but was shocked to learn that it didn't fit in his car, either. "Time to open her up, MUCH to the delight of the FedEx employees and a few patrons in the right place at exactly the right time," she wrote.

While the presents inside were magnificent, Bill thought ahead and made the inside of the package special in another way — he lit it up with holiday lights. "I see the infamous Bill Gates letter placard and photo and my stomach flips," Shelby wrote. "THIS JUST HAPPENED." 

The FedEx employees weren't able to figure out what was inside, however. Bill had made sure each package was wrapped, meaning that they were a surprise to Shelby and her husband until they got home. According to Shelby, even the wrapping was done well. Bill also paid close attention to the questionnaire she filled out before the match taking place. Every gift was special in its own way.

Curious about what she got? Luckily, Shelby gave a rundown of the presents on her post. But, the biggest included a manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby and a "plethora of Twin Peaks gifts including a shirt and sweatshirt; a book by director Jonathan Sanger and some memorabilia from his collection including 5 scripts from season 2 of Twin Peaks, and an embroidered L.L. Bean jacket worn by crew members during the second season of the show."

So, in short, it sounds like Bill Gates has access to everything. Who knew if the Twin Peaks crew member knew that one day, Bill would ask for their jacket for a Secret Santa exchange? It just goes to show you that you can never really predict what might happen in life. Shelby seemed to love each and every gift.

But, there was more to Bill's gift than just the presents. He also donated money to a charity that meant a lot to Shelby, for a very sentimental reason. "This year has been a complete rollercoaster of emotions for me; in March, I lost my mother completely unexpectedly only 10 days before my destination wedding," Shelby wrote.

As part of his gift, Bill donated money to the American Heart Association. "Your donation to The American Heart Association in my mom’s memory is the most special gift of all," Shelby wrote. "It means more to me than I can express." Now, Shelby has a wonderful memory to help her cope with her monumental loss.

If anything, it's a reminder that donations to special nonprofits are just as special, if not more special, than actual tangible gifts. Hopefully, the AHA will be able to use the gift well. The charity is currently matching donations due to a "generous donor," but it's unclear if it's talking about Bill Gates or someone else who recently wanted to help the organization.

It's good that Bill Gates' gift went to someone who really needed the pick-me-up. Shelby had a tough year, but this was definitely one of the best parts of it. By now, Bill should know how honored his recipients are. Hopefully, he will keep on participating.

The real question is, what did his Secret Santa get for him? What do you buy for the guy who can literally have anything he wants? It may not have arrived in an 81-pound box, but hopefully, it put a smile on his face. It'll be interesting to see how Bill tops this present next year.

If the next recipient posts photos and videos the way Shelby did, it'll be easy to find out. If you want the slim chance of being the next person who gets a generous present from Bill Gates, make sure to sign up to next year's RedditGifts. Or, sign up now if you just want to swap presents with someone outside of the holiday.