People: Bill Gates: Divorce from Melinda Mistake

Microsoft founder Bill Gates called his divorce from Melinda a “mistake.” “That was the mistake I regret most,” the 69-year-old told the British Times. “That has to go up the list. There are other things, but none that matter. The divorce thing has been miserable for Melinda and I for at least two years.”

Born in 1955 in the US West Coast metropolis of Seattle, Gates, who founded the later IT giant Microsoft together with Paul Allen in 1975 after dropping out of his studies at the elite Harvard University, is considered one of the richest people in the world. In 2021 he divorced his wife Melinda after around 27 years of marriage; the couple has three adult children. “Melinda and I still see each other – we have three children and two grandchildren, so there are family events.”

With Melinda, he actually wanted to emulate his parents, who were happily married for 45 years. “I encouraged Melinda to take it a little easier than my mother did, but we were both very committed,” said Gates, who is now in a new relationship. “I spent more time with the children than my father did back then, but the ratio was still 10:1 and Melinda did most of the work for the children. We had a great time.”

Bill Gates now runs the jointly established foundation, which is one of the world’s most important donors in the field of health care and development cooperation. Bill Gates said he was “disappointed” that Melinda Gates left the company. The autobiography of the Microsoft founder is scheduled to be published in German by Piper Verlag on February 4th under the title “Source Code”.