A video has recently gone viral with false claims that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was at the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Uttar Pradesh during the Maha Kumbh Mela.
A representative from the Gates Foundation confirmed to BOOM that the video does not show Bill Gates and the Microsoft co-founder is not attending the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh.
Devotees from across the world are attending the grand Maha Kumbh Mela, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also took part in the event and met her guru, Swami Kailashanand Giri, the Niranjani Akhada chief. To ensure the safety of the devotees, the Prayagraj police have banned processions, drones and protests due to security concerns.
Entertainment outlet PinkVilla shared the video with the caption, "A global icon at a spiritual landmark! Bill Gates was spotted at the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir during the Maha Kumbh, adding an international touch to this sacred occasion."
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
"We confirm that Bill Gates is not in India"
BOOM broke the video into keyframes and found that the same video was uploaded on a YouTube channel on December 24, 2024, which predates the Maha Kumbh festivities that began on January 13, 2025. The video was uploaded with the caption, "A man looks like Bill Gates," along with the hashtag "#duplicatebillgates."
The man shooting the video misidentifies a middle-aged man as Bill Gates and sarcastically says that he has come to visit Kashi Vishwanath.
We then zoomed into the man's face and compared it with the photograph of Bill Gates. The comparison showed various dissimilarities between the person in the video and the Microsoft co-founder.
For further confirmation, BOOM reached out to the Gates Foundation to verify the viral claim along with the video. A representative from the Gates Foundation confirmed that the viral claim is false, and the video does not show Bill Gates.
The representative said, "No, he is not Bill Gates. Recent reports of Mr Bill Gates attending the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj are false. We confirm that he is not in India and is not attending the event."
