==========
October 27, 1997
New Jet Eases Travel Hassles for Bill Gates
By LAURENCE ZUCKERMAN
[C] onspicuous consumption has never come easy to Bill
Gates, the chairman and chief executive of Microsoft
Corp. But these days the mantle of world's richest man
seems to be resting easier on his shoulders. Earlier
this month, Gates broke down and bought himself a $21
million private jet.
For years, even as his wealth ballooned to its current
level near $40 billion, Gates was known for flying
coach. His preference on long trips was to throw a
blanket over his head and sleep.
Microsoft employees are still restricted from flying
first class and can upgrade to business class only on
international flights. That is apparently why Gates, who
will turn 42 on Tuesday, bought the plane himself,
rather than have Microsoft pay for it.
-------------------------- "He is flying so much it
Gates's jet is a really does make sense, but
Challenger 604, a he doesn't think the company
twin-engine plane that should be paying for it,"
can fly nearly 5,000 said Pam Edstrom, a
miles, seats nine or 10 spokeswoman.
passengers and has the
widest cabin in its Not that anyone would fault
class. Microsoft for buying the boss
-------------------------- a plane. After being
denounced as corporate frills
in the early 1990s, when many large companies were
laying off thousands of workers, corporate jets are
back.
Manufacturers have a long backlog of orders, and last
year both Boeing and Airbus Industrie announced plans to
convert their smallest commercial jets into business
jets. Boeing's model is a modified 737 and costs $40
million. The company already has orders for 25 of the
jets.
The jet Gates bought is a Challenger 604, which is made
by Bombardier Inc. of Canada. The twin-engine plane can
fly nearly 5,000 miles, seats nine or 10 passengers and
has the widest cabin in its class.
In his role as Microsoft's chief standard-bearer and
mascot, Gates can certainly use it. In the last month
alone, he was in San Francisco, Florida, Arizona,
England, Switzerland, Germany and Russia.
Edstrom said that Gates planned to use the plane
personally and for business. "It has just become too
difficult to map his schedule to the commercial airline
schedule," she said, almost apologetically, adding that
Gates will continue to fly commercial "when it makes
sense."