In an interview with the British newspaper “The Times,” the Microsoft co-founder described his divorce from wife Melinda French as the biggest regret of his life. “It was the mistake I most regret”, explained the U.S. multibillionaire, who announced the end of his marriage in 2021 after 27 years with his spouse.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple said in a joint statement posted to social media at the time. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.”
Both continued to lead the celebrated Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest charities, until Melinda’s resignation last year. In the Times interview, Gates said that his success also depended on Melinda, who kept him grounded over the long years.
The two first met in 1987, when she became Microsoft’s product manager. Seven years later, they were married in Hawaii. Melinda spent a decade developing multimedia products at Microsoft before leaving the company to focus on family and philanthropy. The couple had three children–Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.
“There is a certain wonderfulness to spending your entire adult life with one person because of the memories and depth of things you have done and having kids together,” Gates told The Times. “When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously successful — that came during the time that we were together. So, she saw me through a lot.”
Gates said the divorce was “tough,” adding that he was “disappointed” when she announced she was leaving the foundation to pursue other philanthropic opportunities. “Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren so there are family events,” he added The Times. “The kids are doing well. They have good values.”
Under the terms of an agreement with her ex-husband, Melinda will receive an additional $12.5 billion to fund charitable initiatives for less fortunate women and families
