Bill Gates Opens Up About How He Really Feels About His Divorce
After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda French Gates' love story came to an end. The pair announced the news of their plans to divorce in May, much to the shock of fans across the globe. Bill shared that their decision came after a lot of work on their relationship and a "great deal of thought."
"Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives," the tweet read. "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives." The couple also asked for space and privacy as they "navigate this new life."
In August, Bloomberg reported that the pair finalized their divorce, but details on how they split the massive $152 billion fortune were not immediately clear. The papers also said that neither Bill nor Melinda had plans to change their name or ask for spousal support. According to other terms in their separation contract, the couple split their properties, but it wasn't clear who got which house.
In 2019, a spokesperson for Bill admitted that the mogul had an affair almost 20 years prior, but "it ended amicably." Aside from that, there's another regret that Bill has. Keep reading for deets.
Bill Gates admits he made mistakes
Bill Gates opened up about his divorce in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN. The Microsoft founder answered wide-ranging questions, including a few about his divorce from Melinda French Gates. Bill admitted that he had a few regrets in his marriage, including spending time with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. He shared that his divorce was a "very sad milestone" and "a source of great personal sadness." In particular, Bill named the year 2013, where his Epstein relationship became a point of contention between him and Melinda.
"I had several dinners with him hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts he had might emerge. When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended," Bill said of his relationship with Epstein. "It was a huge mistake to spend time with him and give him the credibility of being there," Bill added. "There were lots of others in that same situation, but I made a mistake."
Despite everything, it seems like Bill and Melina are still on decent terms, and he said they would continue to work on their foundation together for at least two more years. "I've always enjoyed our work together," Bill told Cooper. "You know the two of us can go out and work with leaders and help build the organization, so that would be definitely the best thing for the foundation."