Why did Bill Gates try LSD, marijuana and why he stopped. Memoir ‘Source Code’ reveals Microsoft founder’s youth

In his memoir Source Code, Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed that he tried drugs to impress girls, but the experience with LSD scared him and he never did it again, according to a report by People.com. The book, which will be published on February 4, is set to give a glimpse into Gates' childhood and youth, including his experience with drugs and alcohol.

Why Did Bill Gates Try Drugs?

Gates in his book shared that he experimented with drugs in his teenage years, including LSD and marijuana. Sharing his attempt with LSD, the 69-year-old writes that he experimented with it a few times and once tried to call a girl from his phone while dialing with his toes, as per the report. 

He also added that he smoked marijuana to impress girls, but that “didn't work out”.

Why Did Bill Gates Give Up Drugs?

Gates said he tried LSD “four or five times”, the last being when he was 21, the report noted.

“So I gave it up after, I think we did [LSD] four or five times in total. I think the last time was when I was like 21. And I'm definitely not recommending that because even though you think some of your thoughts are profound, in retrospect, they’re not,” Gates says in the book.

On marijuana he said his attempts to appear cool and impress girls “didn't work out”, but “I tried.”

Bill Gates Shares Panic From LSD Drug Use

Recounting one incident of LDS use, Gates says he panicked after his mind wandered. “On a computer, you can delete a file and even wipe out all of your stored data. Since the brain is just a sophisticated computer, I thought, ‘Hey, maybe I can command my brain to zero out all my memories.’ But then I got worried that testing that notion might actually set it irrevocably into motion. Better not even think about it,” he says in the book.

He added that the next day while showering he checked if his memories were okay and decided to give up LSD, due to the experience, as per the report.

On Drinking Bill Gates Jokes: ‘I Blame Paul Allen and Jimi Hendrix!’

Gates also wrote about getting drunk for the first time, the report added, and jokingly blamed his late friend and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

"I threw up and passed out that night in the Lakeside teachers’ lounge" — and dropping acid during senior skip day ... and still feeling the effects the next morning, during a dental procedure. It's all Paul's fault. Everything I did, I'm blaming it on him and Jimi Hendrix," he joked to People.

Adding: “Paul always got a kick out of challenging the things like [not] drinking. And he gave me a bunch of whiskey, which I still don't like the taste of, because that first night I drank too much. I'm a huge risk-taker willing to try new things, but I also like my mind working well. And so both during those trips and even after, you wonder, ‘Hey, did I scramble up my mind?’”

Speaking to People, Bill Gates said the most interesting thing about his memoir Source Code is that a lot of the “key people” in the book are not alive today. These key people include, Allen and Gates' parents, his childhood friend Kent Evans and others.