Divorcing Melinda was my greatest regret – Bill Gates

Bill Gates, the American billionaire, expressed his deep regret over divorcing his wife, Melinda, in 2021. He reflected on how he couldn’t replicate the enduring marriage of his parents, which lasted 45 years. The 69-year-old former Microsoft executive shared these sentiments in an interview with The Times of London.

Asked if divorce was his only failure in life, Bill Gates said: “You would have to put that at the top of the list. There are others but none that matter. The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years. It’s a mistake I most regret.

“Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events. The kids are doing well. They have good values.”

Bill Gates and Melinda’s relationship began in 1987 when she joined Microsoft as a product manager. They tied the knot in Hawaii in 1994 and later co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing global poverty and disease.

In May 2024, Melinda stepped down from the foundation.