The office Secret Santa can be a bit of a bummer sometimes, when no-one gets any gifts that they really want - but what if you accidentally drew Bill Gates?
Well, one lucky employee got that Christmas treat in real life, receiving a personal gift from one of the world’s richest men.
What does Bill Gates get as a Secret Santa gift?
The idea of the Secret Santa is enough to send a shiver down the spine of every anxious gift-giver.
It’s meant to be a laugh, but the pressure is on to get something that is good, and often within a tight budget.
In the work environment the pressure is even more intense, as the gift can’t be a joke that misses the mark, or - and Christmas is a minefield for this - you could end up hauled before HR or worse.
So, it might surprise anyone we’ve described above to learn that some people genuinely like the idea of a blind gift-giving contest and join up to do it online in their own time.
The folks on Reddit were volunteering for this for over a decade, and even attracted some high-profile celebrities to get involved including Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Fallon, and - of course - Microsoft tech billionaire Bill Gates.
So, what does he get?
In 2019, the name he drew out of the virtual hat was a woman called Shelby.
She was kind enough to share what she received in a YouTube haul video.
The list was extensive, to say the least
We’ll post the full list at the end, but it’s fair to say that Gates either understood the assignment - or missed the point completely.
It could have been really funny to give her a pair of socks, but then he would have been accused of being cheap.
So, the billionaire pushed the boat out, and even tailored the presents to her tastes and likes, gifting her some books - including some very fancy ones - a Harry Potter themed Santa hat, earrings, a candle, and a whole heap of Twin Peaks TV merchandise.
Oh, and a bunch of packs of Oreos.
Yes, he went overboard, but Shelby was pleased.
The most heartfelt gift of all was a donation to the American Heart Foundation in memory of Shelby’s mom, who had died in 2019.
Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty
He even sent her a poignant letter, which read: "I've included some fun things to enjoy both at home and outdoors - plus a couple of great books I think you'll like,
"At the same time, I know no gift will ever make up for losing someone so important to you.
“I was very sorry to hear about your mom, and I've made a donation to the American Heart Association in her memory.
“I hope you and your family find your 'new normal' this holiday season."
It’s a touching message, and shows a side to Gates that might cause a few people to review their opinions of him.
Here's the full list:
* Bill's Deck of Books 2019!
* A Harry Potter santa hat
* Hylian shield earrings
* A very heavy and beautiful handmade Zelda quilt
* A hammock (with bug net!)
* Almond Rocca, Seattle mint chocolates, Jelly Belly's
* Toys for my cat, Emmy!
* Seven packs of assorted Oreos
* A cat-themed logic game
* Eight hardcover books
* An extremely fancy manuscript copy of The Great Gatsby
* A candle with a passage from The Great Gatsby inscribed
* Two adult-level LEGO sets of Microscale Hogwarts and the retired UCS R2D2
* Twin Peaks gifts that included a shirt and sweatshirt; a book by director Jonathan Sanger and some memorabilia from his collection, including 5 scripts from season 2 of Twin Peaks, and an embroidered L.L. Bean jacket worn by crew members during the second season of the show.
It’s an impressive haul, but don’t expect your work colleagues to come through in the same way - after all, they’ve only got a $20 max.