WATERFORD, Mich. – Imagine joining a gift exchange and then learning Bill Gates was your Secret Santa.
That’s what happened to one Metro Detroit woman this Christmas.
Shelby, who only wants to be known by her first name, had been taking part in Reddit gift exchanges for years. She realized this year was different when an 81 pound package arrived.
Every year, billionaire Gates gets involved in Reddit gift exchanges. On the platform, users post information about themselves, hoping someone will become their Secret Santa.
Shelby has sent presents to strangers 95 times.
Just before Christmas, Shelby received a notification.
“I logged into my tracking page and I saw the package weighed 81 pounds," Shelby said. "I though that was really unusual for somebody to overnight an 81 pound package to me. I figured that was probably extremely expensive.”
Shelby went to pick up her package from a Fedex store and that’s when she learned Gates was her Secret Santa.
The box was so large, it wouldn’t fit in her car. She wheeled the box into the store to open it.
The gifts inside included a quilt, Oreo cookies, a unique manuscript of “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and more.
Shelby’s favorite gift was a donation to the American Heart Association in her mother’s name. Shelby’s mother passed away in March, just days before her wedding.