By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-04-03 16:06:53 | Updated at 2025-04-04 10:34:12
18 hours ago
Melinda Gates offered tellingly chilly words about her ex-husband Bill Gates as she revealed how she interacts with the Epstein-linked tycoon post-divorce.
The philanthropist, 60, told People this week that she is focused on her children and grandchildren, and it appeared she had put ex-husband and Microsoft founder Bill out of mind.
'Naturally, Bill and I see each other every now and then at family events, such as graduations,' she said.
'When we do, it's friendly.'
Gates' muted description of the man she spent decades married to could be interpreted as the latest attempt to distance herself from scandal-plagued Bill.
The bombshell divorce between Melinda and Bill, finalized in August 2021, came after she reportedly struggled with his links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Following their high-profile split, Melinda and Bill both remained based in Seattle, while their children Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22, moved to the East Coast.
'One of the most important things in my life is being present for the big moments in my children’s —and now my grandchildren’s — lives,' Melinda said.
It comes as Bill has publicly moved on with girlfriend Paula Hurd, 62, the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, while Melinda told People that she is dating and is 'very, very happy.'
Melinda Gates offered few kind words on her ex-husband as she discussed her post-divorce life for a glossy magazine cover, saying she and Bill are 'friendly'
Melinda said she is focused on her children and grandchildren as she looks ahead following her high-profile divorce
Melinda said she would rather not name her new partner, but it comes months after she was seen flaunting a romance with tech mogul Philip Vaughn.
She is speaking out about the breakdown of her marriage as she releases her forthcoming book 'The Next Day: Transitions, Change and Moving Forward.'
In part of the book obtained by Page Six revealed this week, Gates recounted the emotional moment she told Bill she wanted to live separately after struggling with his links to Epstein.
The mom-of-three recalled how she and Bill took a trip to New Mexico together in February 2020 which she had initially planned to take alone.
On the final night, she sat the billionaire Microsoft founder down and told him she wanted to start living apart.
'It was one of the scariest conversations I'd have had,' Melinda wrote.
Her agonizing decision came in the wake of controversy over her ex-husband's friendship with sex trafficker Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019.
Melinda has previously said the friendship was a factor in her pushing for divorce. Bill has said he deeply regrets spending time with Epstein but has never been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to the predator.
Melinda, 60, has been open about her disapproval of her ex-husband's friendship with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein
The Gates' went public with their divorce in May 2021 after a year of living apart
In the book she revealed that Bill was, 'sad and upset' but also 'understanding and respectful.'
As the youngest of their children, Phoebe, was still in high school, the couple decided to continue living together until her graduation, and the couple continued putting on a united front for their charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
However, Melinda revealed that she began suffering 'panic attacks'.
'Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,' she said of their impending divorce.
However, after a long and at times 'tender' chat, they decided to end their 27 year marriage, going public with a joint statement in 2021. Melinda described the process as 'grueling.'
She has been open about some of the reasons for their divorce, including her ex-husband's ties to Epstein.
'I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein,' she told 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.
'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 publicly moved on with new girlfriend Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd
'One of the most important things in my life is being present for the big moments in my children’s —and now my grandchildren’s — lives,' Melinda said in a new interview
Bill has said in the past that meeting with Epstein multiple times was a 'huge' mistake and error in judgement.
In a statement to CBS, he said: 'Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply. It was a substantial error in judgement.'
Melinda also alluded to alleged infidelities by Bill and suggested they may have contributed to the divorce.
The billionaire admitted to an affair with a Microsoft employee in 2000 and while the couple worked through it, Melinda said it left her struggling to trust him.
