TheEllenShow
After drastically misjudging basic household goods, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates relied on direct studio audience coaching to secure ticket giveaways on Ellen DeGeneres's show.
AI-assisted summary of Billionaire Bill Gates Guesses Grocery Store Prices — original source. Check the original for full context.
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Key ideas
- Bill Gates admitted he had not visited a supermarket in 'a long time' before attempting Ellen DeGeneres' grocery price guessing game. (0:00)
- Gates needed to guess the price of 3 out of 5 common grocery items within $1.00 for the studio audience to win a prize. (0:00)
- After two initial incorrect guesses on Rice-A-Roni and Tide Pods, Gates relied heavily on audience coaching to secure three consecutive wins. (1:31)
- By meeting the three-item threshold, Gates secured tickets for the entire studio audience to Ellen's '12 Days of Giveaways.' (3:39)
Detailed notes
## Background Published on YouTube by TheEllenShow on February 21, 2018, this video features host Ellen DeGeneres testing Microsoft mogul Bill Gates' knowledge of everyday supermarket prices in a segment called 'Bill's Grocery Bills.'
## TL;DR Ellen DeGeneres challenges billionaire Bill Gates to guess the retail cost of five common grocery items within a one-dollar margin to win a prize for the studio audience. After admitting he has not been in a grocery store for a long time, Gates fails his first two attempts on Rice-A-Roni and Tide Pods, leaving him with zero room for error. He rebounds with an accurate guess on dental floss and relies on vocal steering and hints from the crowd to correctly estimate the prices of Totino's Pizza Rolls and spinach dip. Securing the necessary three wins, Gates clinches the game and earns the ecstatic audience tickets to Ellen's coveted 12 Days of Giveaways.
## Atmosphere & style The segment carries a lighthearted, comedic daytime game-show vibe centered on the entertaining juxtaposition between Gates' immense wealth and his detachment from ordinary grocery prices. The dynamic between Ellen's gentle ribbing, Gates' self-deprecating humor, and the expressive studio audience produces a lively, interactive atmosphere. As Gates adjusts wildly inaccurate initial guesses based on collective groans and cheers, the energy transitions from playful disbelief into a tense, celebratory crowd rally.
## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) Bill Gates admitted he had not visited a supermarket in 'a long time' before attempting Ellen DeGeneres' grocery price guessing game. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) Gates needed to guess the price of 3 out of 5 common grocery items within $1.00 for the studio audience to win a prize. - [01:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=91s) After two initial incorrect guesses on Rice-A-Roni and Tide Pods, Gates relied heavily on audience coaching to secure three consecutive wins. - [03:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=219s) By meeting the three-item threshold, Gates secured tickets for the entire studio audience to Ellen's '12 Days of Giveaways.'
## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) Ellen DeGeneres introduces 'Bill's Grocery Bills' to test billionaire Bill Gates on the everyday cost of supermarket goods. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) Gates confesses early on that it has been a very long time since he last shopped in a grocery store. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) The game rules require Gates to estimate retail prices within a $1.00 margin on at least 3 out of 5 products. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) Gates significantly overestimates the cost of Rice-A-Roni at $5.00, compared to its actual retail price of $1.00. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) For a tub of Tide Pods, Gates severely underestimates the actual $19.97 price tag even after audience cues push him from $4.00 to $10.00. - [01:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=91s) Facing elimination, Gates successfully lands his first correct guess on dental floss, predicting $4.00 against an actual price of $3.78. - [01:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=91s) Gates starts with an extreme $22.00 estimate for Totino's Pizza Rolls before audience reactions steer him down to a winning $8.00 guess against the $8.98 retail price. - [01:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=91s) On the final item, TGI Friday's Frozen Spinach & Artichoke Dip, direct hints from Ellen and the audience guide Gates to a winning $4.00 estimate. - [03:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=219s) Completing the challenge awards the entire studio audience guaranteed tickets to Ellen's popular '12 Days of Giveaways.'
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=0s) The Rules of the Grocery Game and Early Struggles
Ellen DeGeneres introduces a game designed to test Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on everyday supermarket items. When Ellen asks when he was last inside a supermarket, Gates admits, “A long time ago.” Ellen outlines the stakes: Gates must guess the price of three out of five common supermarket products within $1.00 of their actual retail value for the studio audience to win a prize. Ellen jokes that if he manages to guess all of them, they will pay off his children's student loans, to which Gates dryly responds, “No danger there.” Resident DJ Stephen "tWitch" Boss acts as the prize model presenting each item accompanied by harp flourishes.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Grocery Price Guessing Rules and Stakes accDescr: Diagram illustrating the setup, rule constraints, and stakes for Bill Gates' grocery guessing game. A["Ellen's Challenge:<br/>5 Supermarket Items"] --> B{"Score >= 3<br/>within $1.00?"} B -->|Yes| C["Studio Audience Wins Prize<br/>(12 Days of Giveaways Ticket)"] B -->|No| D["Audience Wins Nothing<br/>(Gates 'runs to his car')"] ```
The game begins roughly for the billionaire with two back-to-back misses:
* **Rice-A-Roni ("The San Francisco Treat"):** Gates ponders and estimates $5.00, drawing skeptical groans from the crowd. The actual price is revealed to be $1.00, eliciting a buzzer. Gates remarks, “What a bargain. I'll take five.” * **Tide Pods:** Referencing recent media buzz around the product, Ellen presents a large tub of Tide Pods. Gates initially guesses $4.00, but hearing the crowd's audible reaction, he realizes, “No, no. They want me to go higher.” He adjusts his guess up to $10.00. The actual price is $19.97. Gates laughs, “I'll take a half,” while Ellen notes how costly laundry can be.
[01:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=91s) Floss, Pizza Rolls, and Audience Coaching
Facing two initial losses, Gates is left with zero margin for error. As the third item appears, Gates expresses immediate confidence: “This is my best chance with this one.” Ellen confirms he feels confident because he flosses, which he affirms, prompting Ellen to agree on the importance of gum health. Gates guesses $4.00 for a package of dental floss. The actual price is $3.78, putting him within the $1.00 window and earning his first correct hit.
Ellen reminds Gates that he must get both remaining items right for the audience to win, teasing, “If not, you got to run to your car.” The fourth product presented is a bag of Totino's Pizza Rolls. Out of touch with frozen snack pricing, Gates opens with a guess of $22.00, triggering loud shouts of horror from the audience. He drops down to $15.00, meets more vocal resistance, drops to $7.00, and is guided slightly up by the crowd to settle on $8.00. The actual retail price is $8.98, landing squarely within the $1.00 margin for his second win.
The final item is an 8-ounce container of TGI Friday's Frozen Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Gates leans on the studio audience for help, asking, “You know, you guys think less than $10?” As audience members shout out suggestions of $5.00 and $6.00, Ellen subtly guides him: “I would go with maybe lower than $5.” Gates heeds the advice and locks in $4.00. The screen chimes green to confirm a successful guess, sealing the win for the audience. Gates turns to the crowd and says, “That was a big help.”
- **Dental Floss:** Guess: $4.00 | Actual Price: $3.78 (Correct) - **Totino's Pizza Rolls:** Initial guesses: $22.00, $15.00, $7.00 | Final Guess: $8.00 | Actual Price: $8.98 (Correct) - **TGI Friday's Frozen Spinach & Artichoke Dip (8 oz):** Guess: $4.00 | Result: Correct (within $1.00)
[03:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA&t=219s) Prize Announcement and Channel Outro
With the three required items successfully guessed, Ellen thanks Bill Gates for being on the show. She then reveals the audience's prize: every member in the room will return as a ticket holder for one of her coveted "12 Days of Giveaways" episodes. The studio erupts into cheers as holiday music plays. The clip concludes with a comedic YouTube outro by staff member Andy Lassner, urging viewers to subscribe for celebrity interviews and clips of him being frightened, punctuated by a jump-scare prank where Andy screams and curses.
## Mentioned Bill Gates, Ellen DeGeneres, Microsoft, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Rice-A-Roni, Tide Pods, Totino's Pizza Rolls, TGI Friday's, 12 Days of Giveaways, Andy Lassner
## Video description Ellen tested Microsoft mogul Bill Gates' knowledge of grocery store prices with a game of "Bill's Grocery Bills."
[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad_higXixRA)