Bill Gates offers definitive advice on how to answer the interview question, “How much do you expect to earn?”

Bill Gates said job candidates should avoid naming a fixed salary in interviews and instead focus on the company’s long-term potential and stock compensation.

The advice comes from a 2020 interview and highlights one of the most delicate questions in hiring negotiations.

The article notes that the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive will require salary information before the first interview starting in June 2026.

That new rule, UE 2023/970, will reshape how salary expectations are discussed from the beginning of the hiring process.