Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ ex-wife, Melinda Gates, has discussed their divorce in her new book, “The Next Day.”
Bill and Melinda married in 1994 and announced their divorce in 2021, after 27 years together.
Melinda disclosed in a recent appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America that she decided to talk candidly about her divorce in order to be authentic and to honour those who have gone through similar experiences.
She described the separation as “painful” but also a “transition that had some growth in it”.
The 60-year-old also emphasised that divorce is a challenging experience for any family and expressed her hope that her story might offer some insight.
“It was important because if I am going to be my most authentic self. People knew I had gone through it,” she said.
“And it is hard on any family, so I write from my perspective. But it’s not something I would wish on anybody — and unfortunately so many families go through it.
“It is a big transition. And for me, while it was painful for sure, I ended up learning some lessons and there was some growth in there, too.”
Bill and Melinda first met in 1987, when she became a product manager at Microsoft. They married in Hawaii in 1994 and founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to combating global poverty and disease — in 2000.
Following their divorce, Melinda resigned from the foundation in May 2024.
The former couple shares three children: son Rory, 25, and daughters Phoebe, 22, and Jennifer, 28.
