The reason I knew his family was rich, by the way, is that I am an inveterate reader of obituaries, where you find out a lot about the world. When Gates' mother died, the obit noted that she was chair of the Seattle Symphony and of the Seattle Zoological Society, a regent of the University of Washington, etc., etc., as well as director of those banks. The sweet smell of well-aged money filled the air.
Tom C.