evidence: Bill Gates' Surprising Connection To McDonald's Fries [...] You can thank Bill Gates for the potatoes McDonald's fries up It's Gates' farmland in Washington state, however, that is drawing the most attention. NBC reports that this plot is so large, it's visible from space. It's here that potatoes are grown, and these spuds supply McDonald's where they're turned into hot, salty, and perpetually popular French fries.