Bill Gates has spoken candidly about his divorce from Melinda French Gates, calling it his “biggest regret” in an interview with The Times of London. The two, who ended their 27-year-long marriage in 2021, are an inspiration for personal resilience and professional dedication to one another post-divorce.
Gates admitted the divorce was emotionally challenging and revealed it was “miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.” He expressed a deep loss of what they had built over many years, various experiences and memories, and rearing their three children.
He also acknowledged his past mistakes, including his association with Jeffrey Epstein, which he described as “foolish,” adding that it hurt his marriage. Without dwelling on those setbacks, he praised the values in bringing up their children and asserted that they were a strong family, unified in co-parenting.
Gates shared how his marriage provided stability during a rapid rise into success. “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 related, calling it an irreplaceable chapter.
While Gates looks to the past, Melinda French Gates has moved on.
She has been seen with Philip Vaughn, an entrepreneur and former Microsoft programmer who is currently the executive chairman of Tavour, a craft beer delivery service. The sightings they have made together, including a date night in New York City last October, have piqued the public’s interest in Melinda’s personal life. Prior to her relationship with Vaughn, she was briefly linked to Fox News anchor Jon Du Pre in 2022.
She still has a working relationship with her ex-husband to date, and her philanthropic work continues through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Gates’ 2021 divorce is among the most expensive divorces in history, with a combined net worth estimated at $130 billion. Since there was no prenuptial agreement, the settlement’s details have remained private, but a great division of assets, reportedly including a $124 million art collection and heavy equity transfers, was involved. The financial divvying up made Melinda one of the wealthiest women in the world.
Yet Bill and Melinda Gates have remained professional partners in their foundation. The organization, among the largest private charitable foundations in the world, has continued to address critical global issues, from health to poverty alleviation.
M Gates said he was sad that Melinda has pulled back from some of the couple’s shared work in the foundation, even as he credited her with helping to mold its achievements. Which leaves intact the Gates family dynamics. Reportedly, their three children, Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe, are doing great, and the parents’ promises of co-parenting support their wellbeing. He emphasized that their children must grow up with strong values, underlining how important family is, even when a couple separates.
