Bill Gates Says His Divorce From Melinda Is His Greatest Regret

bill gates He recently spoke candidly about his divorce from his wife. melinda gatescalling it the mistake he regrets most.

The pair, who were married for more than 27 years, went their separate ways in 2021 following a multibillion-dollar divorce.

Since their separation, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have remained on friendly terms and moved forward with new partners.

In an interview with Sunday TimesBill looked back on his 27-year marriage and divorce with Melinda Gates, calling it “the most regrettable mistake of my life.”

The 69-year-old Microsoft co-founder acknowledged that he had faced other setbacks, but stressed that nothing compares to the pain of a breakup.

“There are other mistakes, but this one stands out above all else,” he said, adding that the divorce was a “horrible” experience for both him and Melinda and lasted “at least two years.”

Despite the difficulties, the former couple has managed to maintain friendly relations. Both have since moved on and are dating other people.

“Melinda and I still see each other. We have three children and two grandchildren, so we have family events,” said Bill, who has three children and two grandchildren. mentioned a family event. “The kids are doing well. They have good values.”

Looking back on his marriage, Bill said it helped him stay “grounded” as he founded and grew a multi-trillion dollar company.

Bill and Melinda married in 1994 and have three children, Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. The couple announced their divorce in May 2021, but had been living apart for a year before making the news public.

In an interview in 2022 USA TodayMelinda, now 60, revealed it was a “sad day” for her when she realized her marriage to the billionaire was over.

Melinda described their decision to separate as a “healthier choice” for the couple, but also called it “the worst moment” of their lives.

“I never thought something like this would happen to me,” she said. “It’s certainly not what I expected the day I got married, but I realized for myself that I needed to make healthier choices. It was a very, very sad day.”

After 27 years of marriage, Bill is taking responsibility for his role in his divorce from Melinda.

in 2022 interview As for Savannah Guthrie, when questioned by her then-wife about her reported affair with a Microsoft employee, she admitted that she had “caused pain.”

“Yes, I made a mistake and I take responsibility for it,” he said at the time.

Gates added, “I don’t think it’s constructive to delve into the details at this point, but certainly I’m causing pain and I feel terrible about it.”

In a 2022 interview with Gayle King, Melinda also pointed to Bill’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a factor in the breakdown of their marriage.

According to Page 6she said, “I didn’t like that he met with Jeffrey Epstein. No, I made that clear to him.” Melinda added: “He was an abominable person. He was the embodiment of evil.”

Bill later described his professional relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, as a “mistake.”

After their breakup, Bill and Melinda are moving forward with their personal lives. In October 2024, Melinda went public with her relationship with entrepreneur Philip Bourne.

The two were spotted holding hands as they headed out to dinner at Le Bernardin in New York City. Meanwhile, Bill has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, since 2023.

Bill recently shared details about his rare private dinner with President Donald Trump, saying that the nearly three-hour meeting was “interesting” and that he was “impressed” with him.

Despite supporting Trump’s opponent in the 2024 election, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gates appeared optimistic after the meeting.

“About two weeks ago, I had a chance to have a long and really interesting dinner with him,” Bill said. wall street journal.

He said the wide-ranging discussion focused on public health, a core area of ​​philanthropy.

“I felt like he was energized and looking forward to helping drive innovation,” Bill said. “I was frankly impressed with how well he cared about the issues I raised.”