If you were on 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 the hills around Portorus (Skrivena Luka) were covered in people in black’. That story spread like wild-fire, so we checked what really happened.
Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest men on earth, was cruising around the Adriatic during the summer of 2009. Everywhere he came it attracted a lot of media attention – except on the beautiful island of Lastovo.
Peacefully, without any questions, without disruptions, even without recognizing him, he had lunch with his wife at the lighthouse Struga, situated on an almost 100 meter high cliff at the south part of Lastovo.
- I didn’t know who I was grilling fish for, said Jure Kvinta, the lighthouse keeper. A day before a few people came and asked me to prepare lunch for two. I prepared fish I had 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 that gentleman and that lady were. As soon as they finished their meal, they said thank you for such a nice meal and they left.
What about the bill?
Of course, Bill gates does not carry a wallet with him.
He is enormously wealthy but he walks around 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 keeper Jure told us.
Latter a rumor spread around 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 isn't any reason to protect anybody on Lastovo, no matter how much money you may have, you are safe.