Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has described his divorce from Melinda French Gates as the biggest mistake of his life. Speaking in an interview with The Times of London, Gates admitted that their split after 27 years of marriage was an emotionally difficult period for both of them.
“The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years,” Gates said.
The tech mogul, who had hoped for a lifelong marriage similar to that of his parents—Bill Sr. and Mary, who were together for 45 years—expressed sadness over the end of their union.
“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 reflected.
Gates and Melinda met in 1987 during a Microsoft sales meeting when she was a product manager and he was the CEO. They married on January 1, 1994, and had three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22.
Despite their long history together, the couple announced their divorce in 2021, citing irreconcilable differences. Melinda later stepped down from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2024, prompting Gates to rename it The Gates Foundation.
“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,” he revealed.
While Gates did not go into detail about the reasons behind their split, he previously acknowledged that he had “caused pain” to his family. In 2022, Melinda hinted that his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein played a role in the breakup.
“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him,” she told CBS Mornings.
Following their divorce, both have moved on. Gates, now 69, is dating Paula Hurd, widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, while Melinda confirmed her relationship with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn in October 2024.
Despite the challenges, Gates said they remain connected. “Melinda and I still see each other—we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events. The kids are doing well. They have good values,” he stated.
With their separation agreement in place, the former couple continues to co-parent and navigate their new lives apart.
