Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates might’ve come to Singapore to talk business and global change, but it was a brief encounter with the king of fruit that stole the show.
During his two-day trip to Singapore for the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025, where he delivered a keynote speech and announced a new regional office for the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates also met with top leaders — including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong — and took the opportunity to explore the local food scene.
Trying out local food at food centre
Captured on a video now circulating on social media, in the evening of 6 May, he was spotted at Newton Food Centre, one of Singapore’s most iconic hawker spots.
Accompanied by a small crew and camera team, Gates appeared to be filming a segment while sampling local favourites like chicken rice, satay, and roti prata.
However, one particular dish caught everyone’s attention: durian.
Doesn’t seems like a fan
A now-viral 43-second video shows Gates examining the thorny fruit, giving it a few sniff, and finally took a cautious bite.
His reaction? Subtle, but telling. Although he didn’t grimace or make a scene, the slight shake of his head at the end said more than words could.
No commentary was captured in the video, leaving viewers to interpret his thoughts through body language alone — and let’s just say, it didn’t exactly scream “I’m a fan.”
Netizens reaction
While Gates may have remained diplomatic about the famously pungent fruit, the internet had plenty to say — with many amused by his calm but clearly unimpressed expression.
