If you have been at the island of Lastovo during August 2009, you probably heard that ‘Bill Gates tried to escape from a restaurant without paying (not even a few bucks for tip), and hills around Portorus (Skrivena Luka) were covered by people in black’. That story has spread like wild-fire, therefore we checked what really happened. 

Bill Gates, the ‘father of internet’, ‘owner of Facebook’ and one of the wealthiest men on the earth, was cruising around the Adriatic Sea during summer 2009. Everywhere he came it attracted a lot of media attention – except on the beautiful Island of Lastovo.

Peacefully, without any questions, without disruption, even without recognizing him, he had a lunch with his wife at the lighthouse Struga, situated on almost 100 meter high cliff at the south part of the Island of Lastovo.

I didn’t know who I was grilling fish for, said Jure Kvinta the lighthouse officer. A day before a few people came and asked me to prepare a lunch for two. I prepared the oblade fish I caught that morning and pasta with home-grown tomatoes, fish with vegetables… everything ordinary and homemade. No special servings, no special requirements. I didn’t even know who are that gentleman and that lady. As soon as they finished their meal, they said thank you for such nice meal and they left.

What about the bill?

Of course, Bill gates do not take wallet with him. 

He is enormously wealthy but he walks with no money. 

He does not pay. He has people to do that instead of him.

It is true, at the first moment I was a bit confused, but I did not mind. I assumed that the bill will be paid by the same people that came yesterday, the lighthouse officer Jure told us.

Latter a rumor come to the town of Lastovo saying that some dangerous men (men in black?) were hiding behind trees and bushes. Nobody thought that those could be – bodyguards.

What a weird thing, older ladies from Lastovo said. There has not been any reason to protect anybody on Lastovo, no matter how much money you may have, you are safe.