Melinda Gates, born Melinda Ann French, is not just Bill Gates' ex-wife following their divorce on May 2, 2021, per Entrepreneur. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, she is a businesswoman and a philanthropist under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
With her 58th birthday already here, let's know more about the birthday girl and see how she turned from Microsoft's employees into one of the most powerful women in philanthropy through these five facts.
Melinda Gates - A Quick Summary
- Melinda French Gates first had an interest in computers at a young age. Being the child of an Apollo program engineer, she was enthralled by the "moment of life" before the spacecraft took off. That, and her parents' Apple computer cultivated an interest in computers, per INC.
That interest will be cultivated when a seventh-grade teacher placed her in an advanced math class, leading her to study computer science and economics at Duke University for College. During her education at Duke University, she was able to get her Bachelor's in 1986 and received her Master's Degree in 1987. - Shortly after, she joined Bill gates' Microsoft and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the company's general manager of information products. However, she didn't plan on joining the company at first. However, a recruiter pushed her to take a job offer from Microsoft as the "chance for advancement" in the company is terrific.
During her time as a Microsoft employee, she caught the eye of Bill Gates, who took an interest in her. US Weekly reported that the two married in 1994 at a Hawaiian destination wedding. Interestingly, Bill made a pro/con list for whether he should propose to Melinda or not.
- Although Melinda eventually let go of her job at Microsoft, she continued working with Bill in the creation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 1994, which is still thriving to this day. Thanks to the foundation, she became one of the most powerful women in philanthropy.
She mostly focuses on women's and girls' rights and helps all people lead healthy, productive lives, per Forbes. However, what started the idea behind the foundation was her visit to Africa to see the wildlife in 1993. According to her, what struck her the most was not the wildlife, but the people and the extreme poverty they live in. - Although Melinda became a millionaire following her divorce from Bill in 2021 thanks to him transferring $2.4 billion worth of stock, she intends to give her wealth to charity. She is even establishing an investment and incubation company, Pivotal Ventures, to close the funding gap for female founders.
- Melinda is so into helping others that she created an online community of optimists, Evoke, to get people from all walks of life involved in the improvement of the world.
Melinda Gates Now
Melinda is currently Forbes' 411th billionaire and the fifth most powerful woman in the world. However, she is having trouble finding how to support her own process and emotions, as well as her family members at this time.
"I won't personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me," Melinda said.
