US billionaire Bill Gates recently arrived in Vietnam for a short holiday, marking his return to the country after nearly two decades.

The trip comes after he attended a lavish pre-wedding ceremony for the son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest individual, in India.

During this visit, Mr. Gates and his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, will spend five days or so exploring Da Nang and Hoi An. After landing in Da Nang on a private Gulfstream G650ER jet on the morning of March 4, the couple will be staying at a luxurious 5-star resort in Son Tra district.

Known for his significant contributions to the technology industry and his worldwide philanthropic endeavors, Mr. Gates first visited Vietnam in 2006 on a brief one-day trip, where he met with representatives from the technology sector and took the opportunity to explore Tu Son district in the northern province of Bac Ninh. During that trip, he embraced local traditions, such as chewing betel nut, and witnessed traditional mandarin performances, highlighting his curiosity about diverse cultures and his commitment to global technological advancement. His recent return, after an 18-year gap, reflects Vietnam’s increasing appeal as a destination for notable international figures and affirms its growing prominence on the global stage.

Prior to his journey to Vietnam, on the evening of March 1, the Microsoft co-founder and his partner joined global luminaries at a lavish $120 million celebration in honor of the impending wedding of Mukesh Ambani’s son, one of Asia’s wealthiest individuals.

Bill Gates, Paula Hurd, businessman Anant Ambani, and billionaire Mukesh Ambani at Anant Ambani's pre-wedding celebration. Photo: Daily Mail

Born in 1955, Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, and held roles such as Chairman, CEO, and Chief Software Architect. He is viewed as one of the pioneers of the computer revolution in the 1970s and 1980s. Since 1987, he has consistently appeared on Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires and was the world’s richest person from 1995 to 2017, except for 2008 and 2010-2013.

He currently has a net worth of $149 billion, ranking him the fifth most-wealthiest person in the world. After stepping down from his executive position at Microsoft in 2008, he has continued to pursue entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures. He is the founder and Chairman of several companies, including BEN, Cascade Investment, TerraPower, bgC3, and Breakthrough Energy. Moreover, he contributes significantly to charitable causes and scientific research initiatives through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the world’s largest private charitable organization.