Bill Gates fined over $40,000 for illegally storing horse manure

The Microsoft boss still has much to learn about the etiquette surrounding horse waste

(AFP)

Bill Gates has reportedly been fined over $40,000 for not dealing with his horse manure correctly.

The Microsoft boss bought the $8.7million horse farm in Wellington, Florida, last year, where his daughter trains and competes in nearby shows. The estate spans five acres and features a 20-stall barn and a show-jumping area.

However, the businessman hasn’t been following waste protocol.

He installed a large bin to dispose horse manure too close to a local pond and has been accumulating fines of $250 a day since 18 July. The charges are based on two code violations – the first because the unit wasn’t at least 100 feet away from the pond and the second for not having a permit in the first place.

Gates’ current waste palace sits 18.75 feet away from the pond.

Wellington’s Code Enforcement Manager, Steven Koch, told Page Six that he was now in communication with Gates following months of letters: “We made contact with the contractor and the trustee today [Tuesday]. We don’t know what triggered it.”

However, all’s well that ends well and the bin is now in the process of being removed, before the Wellington Department of Buildings to construct a new bin.