Melinda French Gates has described her life as having entered a “beautiful” new phase, five years after her high-profile divorce from Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Two years ago, she departed from the Gates Foundation, the charitable organisation she co-founded with her ex-husband, to dedicate her full attention to Pivotal. This philanthropic body, which she established in 2015, is focused on advancing women's empowerment globally.
With her three children having left home and now a grandmother to two, Ms French Gates finds herself with more personal time. Her current pursuits include frequenting local independent bookshops, engaging in walks with friends to explore new neighbourhoods in Seattle, and enjoying morning strolls to appreciate the natural surroundings of her home city. These seemingly modest hobbies are a marked contrast to her previous schedule, which involved extensive international travel with the Gates Foundation, and perhaps surprising for a woman with an estimated net worth of approximately £23.8 billion (around $30 billion).
Her newfound personal time is, however, relative, given her full-time commitment to Pivotal, which stands as one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Pivotal has already pledged approximately £1.6 billion (around $2 billion) towards initiatives supporting women and their families. This year, the organisation received a substantial boost of around £9.9 billion (around $12.5 billion) from Bill Gates, stemming from their divorce settlement agreement.
Ms French Gates, 61, spoke about her profound aversion to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, stating she 'always saw Epstein for who he really was'. She previously cited his continued contact with her then-husband, despite her objections, as one of several factors contributing to her decision to divorce in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Recent revelations from US justice department emails drafted by Epstein, which included unverified allegations against Bill Gates, further brought the matter into public discourse. Bill Gates has denied these claims, attributing them to Epstein's potential attempts to 'attack' him.
In a recent interview, Ms French Gates expressed relief at being distanced from 'all the muck' surrounding such figures, asserting that the men involved must be accountable for their actions. She reaffirmed her strong negative perception of Epstein, characterising him as an 'abhorrent human being' and a 'horrid man'. Her current focus is squarely on Pivotal's mission, which she frames as a crucial fight for women's health and rights, particularly in light of global setbacks.
The shift in her philanthropic efforts underscores a personal commitment to addressing systemic issues affecting women and families worldwide. Her dedication to Pivotal, backed by significant financial resources, positions her as a powerful force in the landscape of global philanthropy, aiming to create lasting change through targeted initiatives.