It was 1998. Bill Gates was the richest man on the planet, a titan of industry who seemed completely untouchable. Then, a cream pie changed everything for a split second.
Honestly, it’s one of the weirdest clips from the 90s. You see this phalanx of security guards, the sirens, the high-stakes energy of a global CEO arriving at a summit in Brussels. Then—splat.
A group of Belgian pranksters did the impossible. They got past the "impenetrable" security and delivered a messy dose of humility to the face of Microsoft.
The Day Bill Gates Met a Cream Pie
The date was February 4, 1998. Gates was heading into the Le Concert Noble building for a meeting with government and business leaders. He was at the absolute height of his power, but he was also the primary target of a massive antitrust investigation back in the States. People either saw him as a visionary or a ruthless monopolist.
There was no middle ground.
Suddenly, a "pie commando" led by a guy named Noël Godin struck. Godin isn’t your average internet troll; he’s a Belgian writer and anarchist who calls himself "Le Gloupier." His whole life’s work? Bringing the "pompous" down to earth with pastry.
How they actually pulled it off
Most people think it was just one guy with a lucky throw. It wasn't. It was a coordinated strike involving about 30 people. They had a "traitor" inside Microsoft Belgium who tipped them off about the exact entrance Gates would use.
As Gates stepped out of his limousine, he wasn't hit by one pie. He was swarmed.
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- The Number of Pies: Reports vary, but Godin claimed his team brought 25 pies.
- The Direct Hits: At least two, maybe three, landed squarely on Gates' head and shoulders.
- The Technique: Godin’s rule is that you don’t throw the pie from a distance. You "entarter"—you plant it directly into the face at point-blank range.
The most shocking part? The security. Or lack thereof. The bodyguards were totally dazed. They stood there like statues while the richest man in the world wiped whipped cream off his glasses.
Why a Pie? The Philosophy of Noël Godin
You've gotta wonder why someone spends their life doing this. For Godin, it wasn't about hurting Gates. It was about "symbolic execution." He wanted to assassinate the ego, not the person.
He specifically chooses soft pies—whipped cream and sponge cake from a local bakery called Au Petit Pain Frais. He wanted it to be funny, not dangerous. Godin later said in an interview with First Monday that Gates was the "idyllic victim" because he pulled all the strings of global power.
To the pranksters, Gates was the "lackey of the establishment." By covering him in cream, they made him look human, messy, and—most importantly—ridiculous.
The Reaction: A Study in 90s PR
If this happened today, the internet would melt. In 1998, the footage went global via news broadcasts.
Gates handled it better than most expected. He didn't scream. He didn't sue. He basically just cleaned himself up, went inside, and gave his speech anyway. Microsoft later issued a statement saying Bill was "able to laugh about it."
But behind the scenes? It was a security nightmare. The fact that someone could get that close with a pie meant they could have had a weapon. Security firms across the globe used the bill gates pie in face incident as a case study for years on how not to protect a high-profile target.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Incident
A lot of folks think this was a protest about Windows 98 or the "Blue Screen of Death." It really wasn't that specific.
It was more about the general vibe of the late 90s. Microsoft was the "Evil Empire" to a lot of people back then. This was the era of Netscape, the browser wars, and the Department of Justice trying to break the company apart. The pie was a physical manifestation of the public’s frustration with corporate dominance.
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Another misconception: Godin got rich off it. Nope. He’s been arrested plenty of times and usually ends up paying small fines. He does it for the "gloup," a term he uses for the sound a pie makes when it hits a face.
The Long-Term Impact on Bill Gates
Some people argue this was a turning point for Gates' public image.
Before the pie, he was the "ruthless shark." A few years after this, and following the conclusion of the antitrust trials, he shifted his focus toward the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Did getting pied make him a philanthropist? Probably not directly. But it was a loud, messy reminder that the world viewed him as a disconnected elite. It forced a moment of self-reflection that was captured on grainy 90s videotape for the entire world to see.
Actionable Takeaways from the Pie Incident
Looking back at this weird moment in tech history, there are actually some legit lessons to be learned about security and public perception.
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- Security is about proximity, not just weapons. The "pie-ing" proved that if a prankster can touch you, a threat can too. If you manage high-profile events, focus on "buffer zones" rather than just scanning for metal.
- Grace under pressure wins the PR war. Gates' refusal to press charges or lose his temper prevented the story from becoming "Angry Billionaire Attacks Activist." It kept the focus on the prank, not a legal battle.
- Humility is a shield. Figures who take themselves too seriously are the biggest targets for satire. If you're in a position of power, being self-deprecating can actually disarm your critics.
The next time you see a tech CEO on stage, just remember: no matter how much money they have, they’re always just one well-timed sponge cake away from a very bad hair day.
To see the actual mechanics of how the "pie commandos" operated, you can still find the original footage on archival news sites. It remains a masterclass in low-tech, high-impact activism that changed how executive security is handled in the modern era.