Melinda Gates shares how ex-husband and Microsoft co-founder reacted to her request for a divorce.
A 27-year marriage can often feel like it’ll last forever, but when philanthropist Melinda realized that her marriage was over, she had to come to terms that her family would be broken.
In her book, which is due to be released this month called The Next Day, the mother wrote that she invited Bill to a trip that she was meant to take alone to New Mexico in February 2020 and broke the news.
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She explained that the pair had tried to treat it ‘like any other vacation’, but on the last day, she broke and asked her then-husband to start living separately.
As their youngest, Phoebe, was a senior in high school, Melinda suggested staying in their Seattle home until she finished school.
But it would later end for good.
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“It was one of the scariest conversations I’d have had,” she wrote in an extract obtained by People.
While Bill was understandably ‘sad and upset’ at the request, he was also ‘understanding and respectful’ of her wish.
However, then the couple returned from their trip, Melinda decided it was time to end it for good.
That summer, they had a ‘tender’ talk about divorce.
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“Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,” she wrote.
Months later, she would go on to ask for the divorce they had spoken about.
In May 2021, Bill and Melinda released a joint statement to confirm that they had split and later revealed that it was due to her trust being broken by an alleged affair her husband had with a Microsoft employee.
But January 2025, Bill described his split from Melinda as 'the mistake [he] most regret[s]'.
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"The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years," he said.
While he’s 'more cheerful' now, he still considers the divorce 'the mistake I most regret'.
"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. When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously successful — that came during the time that we were together," said Bill.
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"So, she saw me through a lot. 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."
Speaking about his 'failures', Bill shared: "You would have to put that at the top of the list. There are others but none that matter.
“... 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."
After Bill’s admission, Melinda responded during an interview with Elle.
When she was asked about getting back together, she said: "You’ve clearly Googled more than I have."
She continued: "Look, divorces are painful, and it’s not something I would wish on any family.”
Topics: Microsoft, Bill Gates, US News, Sex and Relationships
Britt Jones