Melinda Gates or Melinda French Gates (was born as Melinda Ann French) is an American personality who is a philanthropist by profession. Despite these positions, she is the former computer scientist, general manager at Microsoft, and the author of a few of her books. She is considered to be one of the most powerful and consistent personalities in the field of business who has achieved the rank of a most powerful woman by Forbes.
Back in 2000, Melinda and her then-husband Bill Gates co-founded a foundation company called the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which became one of the largest private charitable organizations as of 2015. Both the personalities have also been awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honour. In the early weeks of May 2021, the couple announced that they were separating and getting a divorce, ending their marriage of 27 years. However, they still share the foundation.
Early Life
Melinda Gates was born on 15th August 1964 and as of 2022, she is living in her late 50s. She was brought up in Dallas, Texas along with her three other siblings, including one older sister and two younger brothers. She belonged to French, Catholic descent and went to St. Monica Catholic School, where she excelled in her studies and eventually became one of the top students in her class.
At the age of 14, Melinda was introduced to Apple II by her father and one of her school teachers named Mrs. Bauer, who was supposed to teach all-girls school computer science. Since then Melinda developed a keen interest in computer science, computer games, and the BASIC programming language of computers. She went to Ursuline Academy of Dallas and received her graduation in 1982. Later she went to Duke University and Fuqua School of Business in 1986 and 1987 respectively to attain her bachelor’s degree and MBA.
Melinda Gates Career
She developed her passion for computers and eventually became a tutor helping children to learn mathematics and computer programming. After she completed her studies, she became a marketing manager with Microsoft. In the 1990s, she was given the position of General Manager, which she held until 1996 and after which she left the company so that she could pursue her future with her family life only. She also served as a member of Duke University’s Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2003. She also served the position of the board of directors at Drugstore.com but later left the same position in August 2006 to solely focus on her philanthropic projects.
In 2015, She founded a venture called Pivotal Ventures, which came to be known as the independent, and separate organization helping people to develop innovative solutions to the problems affecting U.S. Families and women. Melinda has also tried her hands in the field of education. She made her debut with her role as an author in 2019. She wrote the book called The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, which highlighted the acknowledgment of women’s unpaid work.
Melinda Gates Biography |
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| Real Name | Melinda French Gates |
| Birth Date | 15 August 1964 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 57 Years |
| Birth Place | Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Philanthropist |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Sun sign | Leo |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 5’ 6” – in Centimeters – 167 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 60 kg – in Pounds – 132 lbs |
| Shoe Size | 7 (U.S.) |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Average |
Family |
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| Father | Raymond Joseph French, Jr. |
| Mother | Elaine Agnes Amerland |
| Sister | One |
| Brother | Two |
Qualification/Education |
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| School | St. Monica Catholic School |
| College | Duke University, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Who is her husband? | Bill Gates (m. 1994–2021) |
| Children | Three (Jennifer Katharine Gates, Phoebe Adele Gates, Rory John Gates, Jennifer Katherine Gates) |
Personal Life
Melinda Gates developed a romantic affair with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates back in 1987. The couple first met at a trade fair in New York, where they developed a close relationship between themselves. Later in 1994, the couple exchanged the rituals of marriage in a private ceremony in Lanai, Hawaii. By now, the couple shares three children who are named Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe Gates.
Controversy
Melinda came for an interview on 3rd March 2022 with CBS Morning being hosted by Gayle King. The 57-year-old Gates lady developed a conversation in the interview regarding her ex’s controversial friendship with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. She said that she regretted the time when her ex-husband met Epstein. She already had her views very clear to ex-husband Bill Gates about the actions of the pedophile despite her protestations. Once in an interview Bill said that it was one of his huge mistakes to meet with Epstein.
However, the pair (Bill Gates and Epstein) was often caught or photographed together at Epstein’s house in Manhattan back in 2011 after, Bill Gates was involved in child prostitution. Bill Gates previously admitted that he was having a relationship with an unnamed woman back in 2000, who was there in the office of Microsoft. She revealed in her interview that she and Bill Gates were not “friends” but they were “friendly” and she also wished her luck.
Melinda Gates Net Worth
In May 2021, Bill and Melinda announced that they are getting separated, ending their 27 years of marriage. After the separation, Melinda automatically became one of the richest personalities and the internet sensation as Bill Gates transferred $2.4 billion worth of stocks to her ex’s name. Melinda received $309 million of AutoNation shares and $1.5 billion worth of Canadian National Railway Co. shares.
