Melinda Gates is embracing a new chapter in her life, finding solace and joy in her new home away from the grandeur of her former residence with ex-husband Bill Gates. The philanthropist and mother of three, who finalized her divorce from the Microsoft co-founder in 2021, has been candid about her journey post-separation.
In a recent interview with Time, Melinda, 59, shared her preference for the simplicity and accessibility of her new neighborhood. “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. “I absolutely love it.” This shift from the opulence of her past home to a more grounded lifestyle seems to be a refreshing change for her.
The couple’s divorce, filed in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage, was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided them the privacy to navigate their separation. “It gave us the privacy to do what needed to be done in private,” Melinda explained. “You know, I separated first before I made the full decision about a divorce. And to be able to do that in private while I’m still trying to take care of the kids, while still making certain decisions about how you’re going to disentangle your life — thank God.”
As she looks forward, Melinda is excited about her upcoming 60th birthday in August. “I feel like, ‘Wow, I’m 60. I better surround myself with people and still travel [so that] I’m still absolutely learning, because the world is moving, the world is changing,’” she expressed. “I’m totally unencumbered to work in any way I want.”
Melinda is also open to new relationships. “Of course” she’s ready to meet “someone new,” she said, describing her ideal partner as someone “who’s open to learning and who’s vibrant, and who’s smart, and somebody who challenges me and that I challenge.”
Her departure from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, effective June 7, marks another significant change. Reflecting on this decision, she said, “I thought a lot about my three children. But I certainly thought about the effect on the foundation. Those are the three biggest buckets: me, the kids, and the foundation. And I wanted to make sure that when we came through it to the other side — when I came through it on my side — all of those pieces were intact.”
Melinda’s journey from a high-profile marriage to a more independent and fulfilling life is a testament to her resilience and adaptability. Her new home symbolizes a fresh start, one where she can enjoy the simple pleasures of life and continue her philanthropic efforts on her own terms.
