‘Not something I’d wish on anyone’ — Melinda Gates reflects on divorce
Melinda Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has spoken about their divorce in her new book ‘The Next Day’.
Bill and Melinda got married in 1994 but announced their divorce in 2021 — after 27 years together.
In a recent interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Melinda revealed that she chose to discuss her divorce openly to be true to herself and acknowledge others who have experienced similar situations.
She described the separation as “painful” but also a “transition that had some growth in it”.
The 60-year-old also emphasised that divorce is a challenging experience for any family and expressed her hope that her story might offer some insight.
“It was important because if I am going to be my most authentic self. People knew I had gone through it,” she said.
“And it is hard on any family, so I write from my perspective. But it’s not something I would wish on anybody — and unfortunately so many families go through it.
“It is a big transition. And for me, while it was painful for sure, I ended up learning some lessons and there was some growth in there, too.”
Bill and Melinda first met in 1987, when she became a product manager at Microsoft. They married in Hawaii in 1994 and founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to combating global poverty and disease — in 2000.
Following their divorce, Melinda resigned from the foundation in May 2024.
The former couple shares three children: son Rory, 25, and daughters Phoebe, 22, and Jennifer, 28.
In January, Bill described his divorce from Melinda as his “biggest regret in life”.
