After 27 years of marriage, Melinda Gates made a life-changing decision that would reshape her family’s future.
In her upcoming book, The Next Day, Melinda shares how she broke the news to Bill Gates during a trip to New Mexico in February 2020. The trip was initially meant to be a solo getaway, but she invited Bill along, knowing she had something important to say.
She recalled that they tried to treat the vacation like any other, but as their time together came to an end, she couldn’t hold back any longer. On the last day, she finally told him that it was time to start living separately.
“It was one of the scariest conversations I’d have had,” the mum-of-three wrote.
Melinda’s decision to end her marriage came after the controversy surrounding her ex-husband’s connection to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Melinda has previously said that Bill’s association with Epstein influenced her choice to seek a divorce. Bill has expressed regret for his connection with Epstein but has never been accused of any wrongdoing related to him.
In her book, the 60-year-old philanthropist shared that Bill was “sad and upset” but also “understanding and respectful” when she spoke to him about their separation.
Since their youngest child, Phoebe, was still in high school, Melinda and Bill decided to live together until her graduation to maintain stability for their family.
Despite their separation, the couple kept up appearances for their joint charity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
However, Melinda revealed that during this time, she started experiencing “panic attacks” as the weight of the situation took a toll on her.
She noted, “Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,” while discussing their upcoming divorce.
After a long and at times ‘tender’ conversation, Melinda and Bill decided to end their 27-year marriage, publicly announcing their split with a joint statement in 2021.
Melinda described the process as ‘grueling,’ but today, the former couple remains on good terms, co-parenting their three children – Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22 – and enjoying time with their two grandchildren.
She has been open about some of the reasons behind their divorce, including Bill’s connection to Epstein.
“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein,” Melinda shared in an interview with CBS’ Gayle King.
“I made that clear to him. I also met Jeffrey Epstein exactly one time. I wanted to see who this man was, and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door,” she added.
“He was abhorrent, evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterwards. That’s why my heart breaks for these young women. That’s how I felt, and I am an older woman. He was awful.”
Bill has previously acknowledged that meeting with Epstein multiple times was a “huge” mistake and an error in judgment.
In a statement to CBS, he expressed regret, saying, “Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I deeply regret. It was a substantial error in judgment.”
Meanwhile, Melinda also hinted at alleged infidelities on Bill’s part, suggesting that they may have played a role in their decision to divorce.
Bill admitted to having an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2000, and while the couple worked through it, Melinda revealed that it left her struggling to trust him.
Since their separation, both Bill and Melinda have moved on to new relationships.
Melinda is said to be seeing entrepreneur Philip Vaughn, who founded the craft beer delivery service Tavour.
Bill has also gone public with his relationship with Paula Hurd, CEO of software company Oracle, making their first red carpet appearance together last year.
Source: Page Six
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