Melinda French Gates talked about her and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' divorce in a recent interview, describing it as unbelievably painful and saying she had some reasons she couldn't stay married to him.
The billionaire philanthropist said she doesn't really think about it. She explained to the outlet that she knew who I am, and I know what I stand for. I had some reasons that I couldn't stay in that marriage. Her 27-year marriage to Microsoft co-founder ended in August 2021, a few months after the couple announced their plans to divorce. In May 2021, they said they no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives and decided to split after a lot of thought and a lot of work on our relationship. French Gates told Fortune that the coronaviruses gave her the privacy to do what I needed to do. MACKENZIE SCOTT, It's unbelievably painful in innumerable ways, but I had the privacy to get through it, French Gates said. I was constantly working with the person I was moving away from, and I need to show up and be my best self every single day. Even though I may be crying at 9 a.m. and then have to be with the person I'm leaving at 10 a.m., I have to show up and be my best. She and Gates have remained co-chairs of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, a charitable organization they created together in 2000, since their split. The organization has allocated tens of billions of dollars to various causes over the years, including gender equality, vaccine development and education.
Her experience reminded me that the foundation calls me to be my best, French Gates told Fortune, that her main concern was trying to protect my kids through the divorce. In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that French Gates was transferring a large portion of her wealth to the Gates Foundation instead of distributing it among various groups.
French Gates has an estimated net worth of $6.3 billion, according to Forbes. Her ex-husband's net worth is about $104.9 billion.