Microsoft executives in 2008 warned Bill Gates to stop sending flirtatious emails to a female employee but dropped the matter after he told them he would stop, the company revealed on October 18.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Brad Smith, then Microsoft's general counsel and now its president and vice-chair, and another executive met with Gates after the company discovered inappropriate emails to a mid-level employee. The newspaper reported that Gates didn't deny the exchanges, and members of the Microsoft board who were briefed on them declined to take further action because there wasn't any physical interaction between Gates and the employee.
Microsoft declined to comment on Monday except to confirm the Journal's reporting. Smith didn't return a request for comment made through the company.