Elon Musk shares jaw-dropping old clip of Bill Gates being mocked for thinking internet was next big thing

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on inside a tech billionaire’s mind, head to Elon Musk’s Twitter page. You’ll discover his endless stream of consciousness filled with bizarre memes, cryptic phrases and, at times, thought-provoking questions curated from his toilet.

“It gives me solace,” he explained.

Recently crowned Time magazine’s Person of the Year, Musk took to Twitter on Sunday with a jaw-dropping historic clip of Bill Gates speaking to David Letterman about the concept of the internet.

The video shows angel investor Jason Calacanis watching the 1995 interview between the pair, in which the host and audience appear to mock the tech mogul.

“What about this internet thing? Do you know anything about that?” Letterman quizzed before Gates interjected: “Sure.”

The audience can be heard laughing as Letterman reiterates: “What the hell is it exactly?”

Gates eloquently explains the concept of the internet, telling Letterman it allows users access to content at any time.

Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The US host responds: “A couple of months ago, there was like a big breakthrough announcement that on the internet – or on some computer deal – they were going to broadcast a baseball game.

“You could listen to a baseball game on your computer,” Letterman continued. “And I just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?”

The crowd, once again, burst out laughing and cheering before Gates distinguishes the “difference” between the two, explaining that the internet allows users to watch the content whenever.

“Do tape recorders ring a bell?” Letterman mocked.

Alongside the interview clip, Musk asked his 67 million followers: “Given the almost unimaginable nature of the present, what will the future be?”

Tech enthusiasts turned to Twitter with one saying they “Can’t wait for 2045.”

Musk added in a separate tweet: “I’m not suggesting web3 is real – seems more marketing buzzword than reality right now – just wondering what the future will be like in 10, 20 or 30 years. 2051 sounds crazy futuristic!”

For the blissfully unaware, Web 3.0 or Web3 is the next generation of the worldwide web.

The idea is to have a more decentralised web that challenges the tech giants and their power by putting the power in the hands of the users. The data is distributed across networks with no single entity owning the information.

Wow.