Did Bill Gates Actually Attend the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj?

The Mahakumbh Mela commenced in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on January 13. Millions of devotees thronged the sacred confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Mahakumbh is the largest religious congregation in the world. Many high-profile visitors visit Mahakumbh. A viral video circulating online claims that Bill Gates was seen at the festival.

Watch the viral video here:

Is Bill Gates at Mahakumbh? The simple answer is no.

The video, which was published on social media in December 2024 claiming that Bill Gates was seen in the holy city of Kashi, is old. No solid evidence proves that Bill Gates had been to either Kashi or Prayagraj. The man in the video looks only a little like Microsoft co-founder.

The video, claiming to show Gates at the Mahakumbh, has been widely shared, even by popular Instagram accounts with millions of followers. Yet, a closer look reveals it was circulating well before the Mahakumbh Mela started.Moreover, Gates hasn’t posted anything on social media about visiting India, which is unusual because he is known to document his international travels. Last year, he visited India widely publicized.

Though Bill Gates is not coming to the Mahakumbh, the festival has already welcomed some big-ticket guests. Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, on Sunday attended a ceremony at the festival and paid homage to a spiritual leader.