Bill Gates Says The Worst Advice He Received Was To Avoid Risk: 'What Better Teacher Than Failure?

Taking risks vs. staying safe: it’s an age old dilemma that no human being can avoid. But for Bill Gates, the choice is obvious. Risk, Gates says, is essential to progress, and anyone who advices against it should not be paid heed.

What Happened: During a podcast episode with Jay Shetty, Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corp MSFT shared the worst advice he ever received, saying, “People will tell you not to take risks and it’s very well-intentioned.”

Gates highlighted that sometimes, the advice people give is not meant to hurt, but to protect. He argued that there are contexts where taking risks is essential, and that risk isn’t like a “flesh wound”. Gates emphasized that failure is a better teacher than success, noting that society has gone too far in prioritizing physical or emotional safety, and that has stopped people from taking risks.

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Why It Matters: Gates often doles out life advice during media appearances. During one such appearance, his advice to someone who wanted to become like him was clear: beyond a certain point, more money doesn’t buy more happiness—or better burgers. Gates acknowledges that financial freedom matters, but freedom from worries like health or college costs is “a real blessing.”
Recently Gates announced that he intends to give away 99% of his $168 billion fortune over the next 20 years. This week, he shared that the majority of the amount would be channeled to Africa.