Melinda Gates (b. 1964)

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Biography

Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she attended Duke University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics and an MBA. She joined Microsoft in 1987 as a multimedia product developer. In the same year, she began dating the company's co-founder and then-chief executive Bill Gates, whom she married in 1994 and divorced in 2021. They have three children together.

In Their Own Words (1)

A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult

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Timeline

The story of Melinda Gates, told in moments.

1964 Birth

Born Melinda Ann French in Dallas, Texas. Her father was an aerospace engineer. She excelled at math. Got a computer at age 14. Earned a degree from Duke, then an MBA. Joined Microsoft in 1987 as a product manager.

Was getting a computer at 14 the moment that set your path? Did excelling at math feel like power? What did an aerospace engineer father teach you about ambition?

1994 Event

Marries Bill Gates on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. He rents every helicopter on Maui to prevent paparazzi from flying over. They start talking about philanthropy early. The question isn't whether to give the money away. It's how.

Was Bill renting every helicopter on Maui a red flag or romantic? Did the question of how to give money away start immediately? Was the marriage always about partnership?

2000 Event

Co-founds the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which becomes the largest private charitable foundation in the world. She focuses on global health, education, and women's access to contraception. Over $50 billion in grants over the next two decades.

Did co-founding the world's largest foundation feel like responsibility or mission? Was focusing on women's access to contraception a personal conviction? What does $50 billion in grants mean to you?

2021 Life

Announces divorce from Bill Gates after 27 years. She receives a reported $6.3 billion settlement. Leaves the foundation in 2024. Launches Pivotal Ventures, her own philanthropic organization focused on women and families. She keeps the name French Gates.

Was leaving the foundation after the divorce liberation? Does Pivotal Ventures feel like the work you always wanted? Is keeping the name French Gates a statement about identity?