Bill Gates meets Linus Torvalds, the man who created Microsoft Windows' biggest rival and kept it free

Bill gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates met Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux operating system. The two pioneers of modern computing, who have long symbolised opposing philosophies in software development, were seen together at a private dinner hosted by Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich.

The dinner, attended by Gates, Torvalds, Microsoft veteran David Cutler, and Russinovich, was revealed through a LinkedIn post. Russinovich wrote, “I had the thrill of a lifetime, hosting dinner for Bill Gates, Linus Torvalds and David Cutler. Linus had never met Bill, and Dave had never met Linus. No major kernel decisions were made, but maybe next dinner 😉.”

Bill Gates built Microsoft into a powerhouse with a focus on closed-source, proprietary software. Windows became the dominant operating system globally. In contrast, Linus Torvalds created Linux, a free and open-source alternative that invited community collaboration and stood for software freedom. Linux was once described as one of Microsoft’s biggest threats, especially during the early 2000s when open-source adoption surged.

While there was no formal agenda or announcement from the dinner, the image of Gates and Torvalds together signals how far the industry has evolved. Russinovich noted that no technical decisions were made, suggesting the event was social in nature rather than business-focused.

This meeting underscores a changing relationship between Microsoft and the open-source community. In recent years, Microsoft has made significant efforts to embrace open-source technologies, including contributing to the Linux kernel and acquiring GitHub. The dinner, while informal, represents the softening of long-held rivalries in an increasingly collaborative tech ecosystem.