Melinda Gates on Divorce, New Beginnings, Philanthropy

Melinda French Gates has reflected on the end of her 27-year marriage to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, describing it as a deeply personal decision influenced by intuition and events such as Bill's reported infidelity. She admitted to initially suppressing doubts due to pressures from family and their philanthropic work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ultimately, she concluded that the marriage could not continue. The couple, married since 1994, announced their separation in 2021 and finalized their divorce soon after. Despite the split, both remain committed to the foundation's mission and have since entered new relationships. Melinda emphasized the seriousness with which she views marriage and encouraged others to trust their intuition.