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

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 Gates sitting in a blue chair onstage at an equality forum.
Bill and Melinda with their children when they were young

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 Gates sitting next to each other for an interviewBill and Melinda standing in the CBS greenroom before a 2019 interview

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.