Is a reconciliation on the cards? Bill Gates' ex-wife Melinda breaks silence about the 'necessary' measures

All the water under the bridge? Or not…?


The Gates are making headlines, once again, and this time, Melinda French Gates is opening up about the possibility of a reconciliation between her and her ex-husband, Bill Gates .


Healed wounds:

Let’s say it as it is; the Gates divorce shocked the world when the couple decided to part ways in 2021, ending their 27 years of marriage, and announced the same.

Although it’s been almost four years since the former couple parted ways, Bill has often reflected on his life with Melinda and opened up about the decision to divorce in his later interviews. In one such interview, the Microsoft founder revealed that his biggest regret was letting Melinda go.

He told the Sunday Times, “There is a certain wonderfulness to spending your entire adult life with one person because of the memories and depth of things you have done and having kids together.” He added, “When we got divorced, it was tough, and then she made the decision to leave the foundation—I was disappointed that she took the option to go off.”


Although Bill has a rather tender and somewhat melancholic perspective on his divorce from Melinda, his ex-wife seems to have a different take.


Difference in perspectives:

Melina French Gates recently opened up about the possibility of her reconciliation with her ex-husband, and from her response, it was rather clear that the mother of three has soured on that idea.

Slamming the door on any possibility of reconciliation between her and Bill, Melinda responded to her billionaire ex-husband’s recent admission that their split was the biggest regret of his life, saying that their divorce was “necessary”.

Talking to The Times, Melina said, “If you can’t live your values out inside your most intimate relationship, it was necessary.”


She continued, “I don’t even quite know what to make of that statement, so I’m not going to comment on what he says. He’s got his own life. I have my life now. I am very happy.”


The way ahead:

Melinda, who is currently gearing up to release a book, The Next Day, which chronicles the beginning of the end of their marriage in 2019. She claimed the relationship had “reached fever pitch” after the New York Times released a damning report on his connections to disgraced child sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.

She wrote that the article about Epstein, whom she referred to as “evil personified” in the interview, “raised serious questions about Bill’s conduct—questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also our values."

Although Gates has since tried to separate himself from the business dealings with Epstein, it didn’t change the outcome of his marriage.


And although Melinda maintained that divorce was “something that was necessary,” the former wife of the American businessman revealed her ordeal during the process of it.

Melinda revealed that she started to experience panic attacks during their divorce, adding: “When you’re leaving a marriage, it’s very, very hard. And the negotiations were tough.” She revealed that she began seeing a therapist in 2014 when she had her first panic attack while having lunch with Gates when they were still together, saying, “I’d heard of people having panic attacks and I didn’t know if it was a real thing.”

She added that she initially thought that therapy was for other people, but then when she got into the process, she realised, “No, it doesn’t mean I’m damaged. It means I’ve been through some difficult things that I need to figure out.”


End of a quarter-century-long companionship:

Bill and Melinda met at Microsoft in 1987, when he was the CEO at the time. They started dating, and their relationship grew, eventually leading to marriage in 1994.

Their relationship led to a long-term partnership, both personally and professionally, marked by the establishment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2000, they founded the non-profit organization dedicated to combating global poverty and disease. They worked together on the foundation's mission and initiatives, often highlighting the importance of women's empowerment and health.


Although Bill has never spoken about what caused their divorce, he admitted in 2021 that he had an affair with an employee during their marriage. However, Melinda maintained that their divorce wasn’t down to “one specific thing”.

Melinda later told Gayle King on CBS Mornings in 2022 that her husband’s relationship with Epstein played a role in their divorce. She revealed that she met with Epstein ”exactly one time” in 2013 at his Manhattan home, and it “unsettled“ her. She explained, “There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realised it wasn’t healthy and I couldn’t trust what we had.”

Bill addressed those comments at the time, telling CBS News he will “always be sorry for the pain that I caused Melinda and our family.”

Bill and Melinda share three children who are now adults: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22, as well as two grandchildren.

After their divorce in 2021, Bill has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of the former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, since 2022.

However, Melinda is single and shared that she is currently enjoying dating, saying, “I have had so many friends introduce me to people and it’s been lovely.”