Bill Gates showed up at Newton Food Centre in Singapore on May 6, 2025. The Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation Chairman spent about an hour at the food center. He tried many local dishes.
Gates arrived around 7 PM and stayed until about 8 PM. He ate chicken rice, chicken wings, satay, fish ball noodles, carrot cake, roti prata, and durian. He also drank lime juice and sugarcane juice.
His visit attracted over 80 people. Many diners took videos and photos of him.
A chicken wing and satay stall owner, Du Depei, 70, spoke about the visit. “I never expected such a big figure would come to a hawker centre for cheap food. I felt very honored,” he said.
Gates’ team planned the visit ahead of time. They came early to check the location and make arrangements.
Sun Yicai, 70, who runs a chicken and duck rice noodle stall, prepared white chicken rice for Gates. However, Gates’ staff collected the food, so Sun didn’t meet him in person.
A fish ball noodle stall operator, Mr. Wang, 54, mentioned that management staff cleared several tables around 4 PM that day. He had heard Gates would be visiting but was too busy to take a photo with him.
The durian Gates tasted was bought from another location, not from a stall at Newton Food Centre.
Gates was in Singapore for the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025 on May 5, 2025. During the event, he announced that the Gates Foundation will open an office in Singapore.
