A viral post on X claimed that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs once called Microsoft Cofounder Bill Gates his hero. Shared on Sept. 22, 2024, the post referenced a 2003 article published by technology news outlet Neowin, which cited quotes allegedly made by Diddy at a press event held around Feb. 6, 2003. During this event, Diddy reportedly mentioned Gates among a group of his heroes, which also included Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Ralph Lauren, according to the article.

( Liz Churchill/X)

The X post received more than 72,000 views, as of this writing, and claimed Diddy (who, in 2003, was known by one of his prior stage names, “P. Diddy”) said he admired Gates for building Microsoft from the ground up. The post seemed to be an attempt to connect Gates to Combs’ alleged illegal activities. Neowin’s article cited a Reuters report as its source, stating that Diddy allegedly made these statements as part of an interview that occurred around the time it was announced his record label, Bad Boy Records, secured a multimillion-dollar distribution deal with Universal Music Group (UMG). Per Neowin:

P. Diddy names Bill Gates as his hero

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – What do Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates and Ralph Lauren have in common? They are all heroes of hip-hop impresario Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who announced on Thursday a new three-year marketing and distribution deal for his Bad Boy Entertainment label with Universal Records. World heavyweight champion Ali and basketball player Jordan had strong work ethics, Combs said in an interview with Reuters, who said he admired their “passion and commitment”.

“They didn’t want to be just one of the players. I don’t want to just one of the players. I want to be great,” he said. Combs has built up an empire with nearly $300 million (183 million pounds) in annual sales and is renowned for his extravagant lifestyle. Combs, a music producer who has his own fashion line, Sean John, said he admired two greats in his twin fields of music and fashion: Motown producer Berry Gordy and designer Lauren, who reinvented the Ivy League ‘preppy’ look for the masses.

Gates, founder of software maker Microsoft, was an entrepreneur who had built his business by himself, Combs said. “He wasn’t handed it down from the Gates family,” he said. Universal Records is part of the entertainment arm of media and utilities giant Vivendi Universal.

However, the claim that the hip-hop producer once referred to Gates as his hero lacks direct supporting evidence from major media outlets. Thus far, attempts to locate the full transcript or video recording of the alleged February 2003 press event where Diddy apparently made his statements have been inconclusive. The social media claim is based on a single article from Neowin, which did not include quotes from other media outlets.

While the Neowin story referenced Reuters as its source, a search through the news agency’s archives failed to turn up a corresponding report, direct references, transcript or video footage to confirm Diddy’s remarks about Gates.

Although some coverage of Diddy’s 2003 deal with UMG exists, major outlets like The New York Times and Los Angeles Times did not mention any reference to Gates in their reports.

Additional searches through news archives, including YouTube videos and related interviews around this period, have not yielded corroborating evidence to support the claim. Neither Diddy nor Gates has publicly discussed their relationship in detail, although Diddy did tell CNBC in 2012 as part of the network’s “I Am American Business” interview series that he considered Gates one of “the great ones.”

In 2002, the two teamed up for the “Staying Alive” benefit concert in Cape Town, South Africa, aimed at raising AIDS awareness. Diddy performed at the event, which was later broadcast by MTV, with partial funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The event, held in November 2002, was part of a larger campaign to promote safe sex and provide education about HIV/AIDS prevention.

In 2003, Diddy was heavily involved in business ventures beyond music, including his fashion and lifestyle brand Sean John, and his partnership with Microsoft to promote the Xbox gaming console. Though former Microsoft chief Gates has never been directly involved in music production, in 2004 his company launched a new range of music devices aimed at improving interoperability between services and portable devices.

Gates does not have a direct involvement with either UMG or Warner Music Group, the major music corporations that had at various times inked separate distribution deals with Diddy’s now-independent Bad Boy Records. However, in 2012, Gates’ digital content company Corbis reportedly launched GreenLight Music, a music licensing service to allow professionals including filmmakers, advertisers and content producers to access licensed music for commercial use. According to reports, the music catalogs available on Gates’ licensing service were supplied by Warner Music, UMG, EMI Music Publishing and Sony ATV.

There is insufficient evidence to confirm that Diddy explicitly named Gates as one of his heroes. The claim appears based on a singular and uncorroborated report from Neowin about a press event in 2003, and further reliable sources have not substantiated it, nor is the report available in the Reuters archives.

In recent weeks, Diddy has featured heavily in the news due to his Sept. 17 indictment on federal charges related to an alleged yearslong racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation scheme to engage in prostitution. Diddy’s arrest was connected to the March 2024 federal raids on his Miami and Los Angeles residences.

Snopes has previously fact-checked claims about both Diddy and Gates, including the unproven claim that Diddy pays former Police frontman Sting $2,000 a day for sampling the song “Every Breath You Take,” and the false claim that Gates and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell are related.