Melinda Gates reveals the ‘good’ part of not working with ex-husband Bill Gates

In a recent interview, Melinda French Gates spoke candidly about how her life has changed and how her accomplishments are now being acknowledged on her own merits.

Melinda French Gates, the philanthropist and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recently opened up about her newfound independence and professional recognition after her 2021 divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In a recent interview, she spoke candidly about how her life has changed and how her accomplishments are now being acknowledged on her own merits.

“When I get a meeting now, I know it’s because of me,” Ms French Gates told Vanity Fair. “So that’s just — it’s different than before. Quite honestly, it feels quite good.”

Their divorce three years ago marked the end of a decades-long partnership, both personal and professional. The couple had collaborated on charitable ventures through their foundation, which has reportedly disbursed $77.6 billion in global aid since its inception. However, Ms French Gates noted that, in many instances, people would still default to addressing Bill Gates first in meetings, assuming she had less to contribute — a frustrating reality she attributed to sexism.

“I get that he was well-known and did great things in the tech industry, but why would they assume I knew less about philanthropy when we had been doing it together for almost 25 years?” she questioned. “Unless I interrupted the conversation, they could have just kept going for the whole meeting,” she revealed.

Describing herself as a “challenger,” Ms French Gates recalled how she had to assert herself in meetings to ensure her voice was heard. “I would speak first to make sure they listened to me,” she shared.

This dynamic was also highlighted in The New York Times reporter Anupreeta Das’s recent biography of Bill Gates, which characterised him as a “mansplainer” in their early years. He would often cut Ms French Gates off in conversations, leaving her quietly fuming. However, as time passed, the dynamic shifted. “In the final half decade or so at the foundation, I would stop him if he went on too long, and he could tolerate that,” she noted.

Melinda Gates’ commitment to philanthropy, especially focused on women’s rights, health, and education, has remained steadfast even after her resignation from the Gates Foundation in May 2024. While the foundation remains a cornerstone of her work, Ms French Gates has also expanded her influence through Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company she founded in 2015 to drive social progress, particularly for women and families.

In her new chapter of life, Ms French Gates is embracing a more flexible approach to philanthropy, stating that it’s essential to “place trust in the people and organisations we partner with and let them define success on their own terms.” She stressed the importance of humility in her team and her belief in standing behind movements rather than leading them from the front.

Post a commentWarren Buffett, a longtime friend of the Gateses, previously called Ms French Gates “smarter” than Bill Gates in seeing the bigger picture. Mr Buffett stepped down as a trustee of the Gates foundation shortly after their divorce.

News

The Rings of Power be foreshadowing the transformation of this very familiar character into a Nazgûl?

The Nazgûl, also known as Ringwraiths, are perhaps the most terrifying creation of J.R.R. Tolkien, clouded in dark robes and wielding Morgul blades that can transform others into Ringwraiths. The scene of one of them hunting for Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the…

Rings of Power is speeding towards its most tragic storyline, making the Númenóreans look downright foolish

Of the changes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has made from its source material, there’s none more sweeping than the scrunching of the story’s timeline. Rather than take place over three-plus millennia, Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay opted…

The real reason Tolkien fans are outraged and can’t tolerate The Rings of Power

Amazon’s epic fantasy series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is divisive, to say the least. It has passionate fans and equally passionate detractors. It has also inspired a pretty massive drop-off in viewership: Over 50% of viewers that started…

Vivica Fox enamored with his body and that certain color says she is ready to date 50 Cent again

The two dated for a short time in the early 2000s but she’s open to spinning the block with her ex if the opportunity arises. Albeit brief, Vivica A. Fox had a very public and sometimes tumultuous relationship with rapper 50 cent….

Eminem struggled to come to a conclusion about who is the best player in the world, Ronaldo or Messi. The answer is…

American rapper Eminem once made an emphatic claim in the ‘greatest footballer of all time’ debate, choosing Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo over Argentine icon Lionel Messi. The world-renowned artist was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III and is widely considered to…

The latest updated figures show that Eminem remains the best-selling rapper of all time

Way ahead of any possible competition you can imagine, Eminem holds the title of the best selling rapper in the world. Recently, Forbes updated its infamous list of the Top 50 best rappers. They placed Jay-Z at No.1 and Eminem at No.10,…

End of content

No more pages to load

Reportultra

Melinda Gates reveals the ‘good’ part of not working with ex-husband Bill Gates

In a recent interview, Melinda French Gates spoke candidly about how her life has changed and how her accomplishments are now being acknowledged on her own merits.

News

The Rings of Power be foreshadowing the transformation of this very familiar character into a Nazgûl?

Rings of Power is speeding towards its most tragic storyline, making the Númenóreans look downright foolish

The real reason Tolkien fans are outraged and can’t tolerate The Rings of Power

Vivica Fox enamored with his body and that certain color says she is ready to date 50 Cent again

Eminem struggled to come to a conclusion about who is the best player in the world, Ronaldo or Messi. The answer is…

The latest updated figures show that Eminem remains the best-selling rapper of all time

Our Privacy policy

In a recent interview, Melinda French Gates spoke candidly about how her life has changed and how her accomplishments are now being acknowledged on her own merits.

Related Posts