Melinda and Bill Gates had been living separately for over a year before they publicly announced their divorce in 2021. In a recent interview with Time, Melinda Gates, 59, disclosed that she and Bill, 68, had started alternating who would stay at their expansive Pacific lodge-style home even before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Melinda explained that this period of separation provided her with the clarity she needed regarding the state of their marriage. She emphasized that living apart allowed them the privacy to make necessary decisions about their future without public scrutiny. “It gave us the privacy to do what needed to be done in private,” she said.
She further elaborated that she had separated from Bill before making the final decision to divorce. This private time was crucial for her as she continued to care for their children and make decisions about disentangling their lives. “Thank God,” she added, expressing relief at having the space to navigate these complex issues.
Melinda acknowledged that her decision to divorce Bill was deeply personal, but she also had to consider other significant factors. “I thought a lot about my three children,” she said, referring to their daughters Jennifer, 28, Phoebe, 21, and son Rory, 23. She also considered the impact on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which they co-founded and continue to run together.
During their time apart, Melinda gained the clarity she needed. “I separated first before I made the full decision about a divorce,” she reiterated. She wanted to ensure that all aspects of her life, including her well-being, her children, and the foundation, remained intact as she moved forward.
Despite the painful process of divorce, Melinda described her life post-divorce as “wonderful.” She now enjoys skiing, participating in spiritual groups, going on safaris in Africa, and spending time with her family, including her son-in-law Nayel Nassar, who is set to compete in the Paris Olympics.
Melinda has moved into a smaller, cottage-style home, which she prefers over the massive mansion she lived in during her marriage. “I live in a neighborhood. Now I can walk to little stores. I can walk to the drugstore, I can walk to a restaurant,” she said, expressing her love for her new living situation.
Regarding her dating life, Melinda, who was last linked to former Fox reporter Jon Du Pre, is open to finding love again. She described her ideal partner as “somebody who’s open to learning and who’s vibrant, and who’s smart, and somebody who challenges me and that I challenge.”
Bill Gates, on the other hand, has moved on with his girlfriend, Paula Hurd. They were first romantically linked in 2022.
The couple announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. In a joint statement, they said, “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.” They emphasized their continued commitment to their foundation and their shared mission to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.
Bill Gates, who is worth over $130 billion, stepped down as a board member of Microsoft in March 2020 to focus on his philanthropic activities. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000, has become the world’s largest private charitable foundation, funding projects to reduce poverty and improve health globally.
Melinda has been vocal about the challenges in her marriage, particularly in her 2019 book, “The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World.” She wrote about the unique struggles of being a mother and the wife of one of the world’s richest men, as well as broader issues of women’s inequality in and out of marriage.
In addition to her work with the foundation, Melinda founded Pivotal Ventures in 2015, an office focused on tackling inequities for women and barriers in the United States.
Despite their separation, both Bill and Melinda remain committed to their philanthropic work. The foundation has pledged significant funds to various causes, including $300 million to fight the spread of COVID-19 and develop new treatments and vaccines.
Their daughter, Jennifer Gates, acknowledged the challenging time for the family on Instagram, expressing her ongoing process of supporting her own emotions and those of her family.
Bill and Melinda first met in the 1980s when Melinda joined Microsoft. They married in 1994 and have since raised three children and built a foundation that has made a significant impact worldwide. While their marriage has ended, their commitment to their shared mission continues.
