Title: Key Takeaways:
• Bill Gates shares his regret over his divorce from Melinda Gates in a recent interview.
• Gates dates Paula Heard, widow of the late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.
• Melinda and Bill Gates were married for 27 years and have three children.
• Melinda resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation in 2024 post-divorce.
The Gates’ Divorce Saga
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently expressed remorse over his divorce from Melinda Gates. Despite declaring the divorce his most significant regret, Gates appears to have moved on with his new girlfriend, Paula Heard.
In a recent revelation, Gates said, “The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.” Throughout 27 years of matrimony, the Gates couple had not only raised three children but also created a philanthropic footprint with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates confessed the beauty of sharing a lifetime with the same person, emphasizing the memories, depth of experiences, and raising children together.
A Fresh Start for Bill Gates
Though enveloped in initial adversity, Gates, 69, seems to have emerged more cheerful. He has been frequently seen with Paula Heard, widow of Mark Hurd, Oracle’s late CEO. Glimpses of their relationship surfacing in September 2022 at the Laver Cup, and in August 2023, they were spotted together at the lavish engagement party of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos.
About Paula, the new woman in Gates’ life, it’s known that she’s a mother of two and was married to Mark Hurd for 30 years before his demise. Confirmation of their relationship was revealed in February 2023.
Inside the Gates’ Former Life
Bill’s ex-wife, Melinda Gates, was integral to his life and the charitable foundation they co-founded. Melinda, 60, was previously married to Bill for 27 years before publicly announcing their separation in May 2021. Their professional journey started when they met at Microsoft in 1987, where Melinda worked as a Product Manager. They wed in 1994 in Hawaii.
Their joint statement of divorce expressed the bitter-sweet reality where they had shared 27 years of life, parenting three children, and forming a globally impactful foundation, but realized they couldn’t grow together as a couple anymore.
In the aftermath of their divorce, Melinda resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2024. As a woman of substance, she’s the author of the book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, published in 2019.
Behind the Gates’ Divorce
In a candid chat with CBS Mornings in 2022, Melinda revealed that there wasn’t one particular incident that sparked their divorce. Rather, it was the culmination of factors that led her to believe that she couldn’t trust their relationship.
Melinda also divulged on her ex-husband’s affair with a staffer two decades ago, which Bill admitted to in May 2021. Speaking on forgiveness, she shared her belief in it, thinking they had successfully navigated past that incident.
As life moves forward, Gates’ life seems to display a paradigm of personal growth and romantic renewal post-separation. The co-founder of Microsoft seems to have found solace and companionship in Paula Heard, even as healing continues from the regretful dissolution of his 27-year marriage.