View gallery
Melinda French Gates And her ex-husband Bill Gates They stunned the world in May 2021 when they announced the end of their 27-year marriage and vowed to continue their work together in philanthropy despite being apart.
Their joint statement at the time said: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the past 27 years, we have raised three wonderful children and built a foundation that works around the world to empower all people to live healthy, productive lives. We still share a belief in this mission and will continue our work together in the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate the This new life.
pic.twitter.com/fCVHDlZbvq
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) May 3, 2021
Since their split, Melinda has focused on her philanthropic path — leading pivotal projects and championing women’s health and equality — while continuing to navigate the public fallout from her high-profile life. Recently, new documents related to Jeffrey Epstein The investigation has led to renewed scrutiny of her previous marriage, with French-Gates calling the revelations “hurtful” and stressing that lingering questions about her ex-husband should be addressed by others.
Here are five things you should know about Melinda and her background with Bill.
When did Melinda and Bill Gates first meet?
Melinda met Bill in 1987. They dated for four years before marrying on beautiful Lanai, Hawaii in 1994. They have three children, two daughters and a son. Jennifer, vibe and Rory Gates.
Melinda and Bill Gates created a foundation
Six years after their marriage, Bill and Melinda founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. The organization has donated billions of dollars to health research during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In February, the foundation donated $100 million to health care research as the severity of the outbreak in the United States grew. In April 2020, they donated another $150 million for testing and treatment aid and to help poor countries develop a plan for sustainability during the uncertain period.
In 2024, Melinda separates from her and the Bell Foundation.
Melinda Gates has previously criticized Donald Trump
Melinda was not satisfied with the way she was working as president Donald TrumpAddressed the management of the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, May 7, 2020, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave the Trump administration a D- for its leadership during the outbreak. “We need leadership at the national level,” Bell said. “We have lost almost two months in terms of our national response.” POLITICO .
Melinda also insisted that one of the biggest issues facing America during the pandemic is a lack of testing. “You know, if we were doing the things that typical countries, like Germany, are doing, we would be testing. We would be testing, first, the health care workers and then those most at risk, and we would be doing contact tracing,” she said. “We will be able to start thinking about reopening spaces in the community slowly and in safe and healthy ways, but we lack a coordinated effort.”
As a major donor to the World Health Organization, Melinda quickly became one of the strongest voices in opposition to the Trump administration. Her foundation has donated millions of dollars to the fight against the pandemic, making her and her soon-to-be ex-husband two of the largest financial donors in the fight against the coronavirus.
Melinda Gates received honors for her charitable work
In 2013, Melinda Gates was appointed an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her charitable work and work on the international stage. In 2016, former Pres Barack Obama She and her husband were also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their charitable efforts.
Melinda Gates is an author
In 2019, Melinda published her first book The Lifting Moment: How empowering women changes the world. The book is a New York Times best seller. Her work has focused on a range of issues from child marriage, to lack of access to contraception, to inequality in the workplace.
