I'm having trouble grasping the relevancy of this question. But regardless of that, how could you not consider the man smart? Steve Ballmer might be lucky, but

I'm having trouble grasping the relevancy of this question. But regardless of that, how could you not consider the man smart? Steve Ballmer might be lucky, but Bill Gates is most certainly a very smart and talented man. I would also add that it's not his intelligence that would intimidate me, but more so his wealth of experience. His bullshit detectors are probably off the charts, considering that he's heard and seen every business pitch known to man. If I was your friend I would just try to be as honest and upfront as possible. You're not going to sell Bill Gates on anything, but you can convince him you're someone that's worth dealing with.