(Originally published by the Daily News on Feb. 5, 1998. This story was written by George Mannes.)
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, who was hit with 11 state subpoenas earlier this week, got whacked by something else yesterday on a trip to Brussels — a pie in the face.
Gates, the world’s wealthiest man, got his unexpected taste of Belgium as he entered an afternoon meeting with 400 Belgian educators, business leaders and government officials.
On his way in, a group of pranksters ambushed him with a cream pie, messing his glasses and dark suit.
The pie toss was thought to be the mastermind of Noel Godin, a Belgian personality who stages the attacks and then tries to sell footage of the incidents.
Police arrested two suspects in the attack yesterday, and were looking for a third.
Gates, who usually worries about software piracy more than soft pies, will not be pressing charges, Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray said.
Murray said that Gates, a fearsome competitor who’s not usually known for his sense of humor, was later joking about the incident.
“The pie wasn’t even that good,” Murray reported Gates as saying.
