WASHINGTON -- Celebrities George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey and prominent lobbyists, corporate executives and Democratic fundraisers were among the first to score visits with President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle or top aides at the White House, newly released records show.

The White House late Friday afternoon posted a list of roughly 480 records in response to questions about whether specific people visited the president's home. It plans to start disclosing comprehensive visitor lists in coming months.

The records are a step toward making good on Obama's promise of transparency.

The visits included in the records released Friday include roughly eight dozen with Obama.

Among the guests:

• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The wealthy philanthropist had a March 25 meeting with Obama in the Oval Office. The subject isn't disclosed.

• Clooney, a U.N. messenger of peace, met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Feb. 23 to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. Clooney has said he asked Obama to appoint a full-time regional envoy to report directly to the White House.

Among other visitors, talk show host Winfrey, who campaigned for Obama, interviewed the first lady Feb. 17 and was on the guest list for an inaugural reception.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Obama economic adviser Larry Summers and technology adviser John Holdren in June and had a West Wing tour in April, the records show.

The list also includes some names that would draw attention at first glance: Michael Jordan, Michael Moore, William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright.

The White House was quick to note that the visitors were not actually the basketball star, the documentary filmmaker or the controversial activist and preacher -- just people who share their names.

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