A woman in Michigan was surprised when she found out that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft was her secret Santa this year.
She received an 81-pound box from Gates, which was welcome after a rough year.
“Bill Gates, you are a blessing,” she wrote on Reddit after receiving the epic package. “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 took part in a RedditGifts exchange this year for the 95th time. It’s a program that takes place year-round when people sign up to give gifts to each other.
Gates is quickly becoming known for giving some of the best gift boxes after he signed on in 2013. Each of those gifts is perfectly tailored to the recipient.
“Just when she needed it most, one lucky giftee … struck Secret Santa gold and was blessed with the Christmas of a lifetime,” tweeted Reddit last weekend.
Raise your hand if matching with Bill Gates for #RedditGifts Secret Santa is a life goal. 🙋♀️Just when she needed it most, one lucky giftee (u/szor) struck Secret Santa gold & was blessed with the Christmas of a lifetime. Well done, @BillGates. https://t.co/pZelK3ao9v pic.twitter.com/RY4DrKHU6g
— Reddit (@reddit) December 21, 2019
Shelby started her post with the words “Buckle up” and walked people step-by-step through the Secret Santa experience. She thought that it was a little over-the-top but after learning it weighed 81 pounds, she joked that she thought it might be from Gates.
Of course, she didn’t really think that it was from Bill Gates until it arrived FedEx the next day.
“Out from the back walks a huge box with man’s legs,” she recounted on Reddit. “ ‘What does #95 mean?’ asks the man-box. ‘It’s labeled big on each face.’ ”
It was his way of saying that it was learned that she had participated in the gift exchange 95 times. There were also many other details, including the Harry Potter Santa hat and a number of books, including “an extremely fancy manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby,” Twin Peaks memorabilia, Oreos, and toys for cats. She had a hard time fitting everything in the car but the boxes were sturdy and actually would work well as organization containers at home.
One of the most touching gifts was the gift on behalf of her mother.
“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.”
Gates is quickly gaining a reputation as “everyone’s favorite Secret Santa,” according to GeekWire. They posted information about the gifts she received including videos.
The Reddit Secret Santa exchange is in its 11th year but the overall exchange can take place at any time of the year. It calls itself a “giant online gift exchange that started connecting internet stranger-friends around the world with one another in 2009,” the online platform says. Givers and receivers came from 141 countries last year and amounted to some 200,000 people.
Shelby feels that the benefits of the gift exchange extend beyond the gifts.
“I really encourage people to join the gift exchange,” Shelby said, according to USA Today. “I’ve been matched with people like myself and it’s a ton of fun to learn about someone else and brighten their day. Plus it’s great to get a gift in the mail instead of the usual junk mail and bills.”