Bill Gates' fortune may have slipped by $18bn in the past year or so, but pop oldster Bono apparently thinks that the leftover $40bn still deserves a royal salute.

The final performance of U2's 360° Tour took place on October 28 at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia - which also just happened to have been the Microsoft Chairman of the Board's 54th birthday, which he celebrated by attending the concert.

After telling the assembled revelers that "Bill Gates is in the house", Bono led the crowd in a typically dirge-like rendition of "Happy Birthday:"

Praising Gates for his work with the ONE campaign and Project RED, Bono noted that "Without him, and without his business, we just wouldn't be where we are today."

A sentiment that, it must be admitted, can be read with multiple meanings, as well befits the complex poesy of master lyricist Bono. ®

Related stories

• Bill Gates-funded boffins develop anti-AIDS stealth condom (10 August 2009)
• Bill Gates: Tough US immigration stance a 'huge mistake' (25 July 2009)
• Gates retakes rich list top spot as Zuckerberg slides off chart (12 March 2009)
• Bill Gates bans progeny from iPhone Nation (2 March 2009)
• Gates looses mosquitoes on tech conference bloodsuckers (5 February 2009)
• Gates joins ex-Microsoft CTO to register patents (10 November 2008)
• Bill Gates launches stealth bgC3 LLC project (23 October 2008)
• Gates predicts 'significant' US recession (13 October 2008)
• Gates dethroned as tech's richest get thumped (10 October 2008)
• Bill Gates exposed as closet Yorkshireman (6 August 2008)
• Radio Reg Bill Gates battles Kermit the Frog in the name of open source (2 July 2008)
• Bill Gates has gone, what's his legacy? (30 June 2008)
• As Gates strides into the future, we wallow in the past (27 June 2008)