Elon Musk shares hilarious 1995 video of Bill Gates talking about the Internet

Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to share a 1995 video of Bill Gates in which the billionaire can be seen talking about the potentially transformative impact of the Internet.

The footage, taken from an interview with David Letterman, sees Mr Gates describe the internet as the “next big thing” – although his host isn't entirely convinced.

It's a gem of a clip, reposted by Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2021, which drew plenty of criticism online. Mr Musk’s personal Twitter account has barely left the news headlines in recent months, following a series of jabs aimed at politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – both of whom have questioned his tax affairs.

However, this particular Tweet from the Tesla and Space X chief was far more benign and light-hearted, as it shone a light on just how much technology – and societal attitudes towards it – have changed.

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

“What the hell is it exactly,” Mr Letterman retorts, to a tune of giggles in the audience.

Mr Gates expertly breaks down the concept of the Internet, telling Mr Letterman it allows users access to content at any time.

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,” Mr Letterman continued. “And I just thought to myself, does radio ring a bell?”

The crowd again erupts into laughing and cheering before Mr Gates distinguishes the “difference” between the two, as the clip shows.

Back in 1995, the World Wide Web was a mere four years old (although the original prototype for what would later become the Internet was developed in the 1960s). While the Internet would go on to revolutionise the world over the next 26 years, it’s fair to say that very few people at the time would have been able to fully appreciate its near-limitless potential.

Alongside the interview clip, Mr Musk posited the following question to 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.”

The South African business magnate 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!”

‘Web3’ refers to Web 3.0 – which could be the next generation of the World Wide Web. Its function would be to break the monopoly of the big tech giants and decentralise the Internet completely – thus returning it to its libertarian roots.