Melinda Gates gets real about ‘painful’ divorce from billionaire ex Bill Gates: Wouldn’t wish it ‘on any family’

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Melinda French Gates got candid about her divorce from billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates after he called their split the “mistake” he most regrets.

“Look, divorces are painful, and it’s not something I would wish on any family,” Melinda told Elle in an interview published Monday.

The billionaire philanthropist and women’s rights activist went on to reveal that filing for divorce was one of the “hardest” yet “most important” things she’s ever done.

Melinda Gates walking down the street in Manhattan — Melinda French Gates revealed details about her life following her “painful” divorce from Bill Gates.

Melinda Gates sitting in a blue chair onstage at an equality forum. — The billionaire philanthropist and women’s rights activist told Elle that divorcing Bill was one of the “hardest” yet “most important” things she’s ever had to do.

Bill and Melinda with their children when they were young — “Look, divorces are painful, and it’s not something I would wish on any family,” she told the outlet.

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But Melinda, 60, has high hopes for the future.

“She’s thriving on the other side of a divorce,” she replied when asked how she wants people to see her in five years. “Just thriving.”

Melinda, who first met Bill in 1987 shortly after she began working at Microsoft as a product manager, said that having time to herself has been “pretty wonderful” — as well as being able to make business decisions solo.

“A woman should have her full voice, her full decision-making authority. It’s nice to have that,” she said.

A photo of Melinda and Bill Gates with their three children when they were teenagers — Melinda and Bill share three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22.

Melinda and Bill Gates sitting next to each other for an interview — The now-exes tied the knot in 1994, seven years after they met at Microsoft.

Bill and Melinda standing in the CBS greenroom before a 2019 interview — They finalized their divorce in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

However, Melinda has been back on the dating scene.

She went public with her current boyfriend, entrepreneur Philip Vaughn, during an NYC outing in October 2024.

Vaughn, who worked at Microsoft for almost nine years, is the founder and chairman of Tavour, a craft beer delivery service.

Meanwhile, Bill, 69, has also moved on. He’s been dating Paula Herd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, for over two years.

Melinda walking next to Bill as they prepare to attend court in Washington DC (2002) — In 2022, Melinda told Gayle King on “CBS Mornings” that her and Bill’s marriage failed partly due to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Melinda Gates holding hands with new boyfriend Philip Vaughn getting out of private helicopter — Melinda confirmed her relationship with boyfriend Philip Vaughn in October 2024.

Melinda and Bill’s divorce was finalized in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

In a 2022 “CBS Mornings” interview with Gayle King, Melinda said that their relationship failed because of “many things,” including trust issues after Bill’s alleged infidelity and his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to [Bill],” she said at the time. “[Epstein] was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women.”

Melinda and Bill share three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22.