Melinda Gates Opens Up: Stayed in Marriage With Bill Gates for Sake of Family, Foundation

Four years after her divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates has opened up about the long and deliberate process of accepting the end of their marriage.

In a candid conversation, the 60-year-old philanthropist admitted that she felt pressure to remain in the relationship for years—not only for the sake of their family but also for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the nonprofit they co-founded and co-chaired during their marriage.

Ending the marriage was a complex decision, given their decades-long relationship, three children, and shared responsibilities at one of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations.

“I took marriage—and I still do—very, very seriously. And it wasn’t just two of us involved, it was five of us,” she shared.

However, Melinda added, “At some point, I had to turn inward and listen to my inner voice. I just knew it. I knew it in my soul.”

Bill and Melinda first met in 1987 during a Microsoft sales meeting. At the time, she was a product manager and he was the company’s CEO. Gates reportedly asked her out, and the two were married on New Year’s Day in 1994.

The couple announced their separation in 2021, stating they “could no longer grow together as a couple in this next phase of life.”

Their divorce also drew renewed attention to Bill Gates’ ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and reports of infidelity.

In 2022, Melinda confirmed her discomfort with Bill’s association with Epstein, saying, “I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. I made that clear to him. He was abhorrent. He was evil personified.”

Since the split, both have moved on with their lives. Melinda is currently in a relationship with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn, while Bill Gates is reportedly dating Paula Hurd, a former tech executive and widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.