Melinda French Gates

Lore & Background

Melinda French was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the second of four children. She attended Duke University, earning a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics and an MBA. She joined Microsoft in 1987 as a multimedia product developer, later becoming general manager of Information Products. She left Microsoft in 1996, reportedly to focus on starting a family. She married Bill Gates in 1994 and divorced him in 2021; they have three children.

From 2000 to 2024, she and Bill Gates co-chaired the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on global health, development, and education. In 2015, she founded Pivotal Ventures to address problems affecting U.S. women and families. After resigning as co-chair in 2024, the foundation was renamed the Gates Foundation, with Bill Gates as sole chair. She has become a prominent megadonor to the Democratic Party, focusing on abortion rights, and endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. In 2025, she published a memoir, The Next Day: Transition, Change and Moving Forward.

Reader's Guide

Melinda French Gates's significance lies in her role as co-chair of the world's largest private charitable organization for nearly a quarter-century, directing billions toward global health, development, and education. After her divorce, she received $12.5 billion for independent philanthropy, which she has stated will focus on women and families, and she has pledged to give away the majority of her wealth. Her founding of Pivotal Ventures and her grant competitions, such as Action for Women's Health, represent a shift toward targeted funding for women's issues. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honour, and is consistently listed by Forbes as one of the world's most powerful women. Her legacy includes both the scale of the Gates Foundation's impact and her independent efforts to address gender inequality.

Did You Know?

• She was introduced to the Apple II at age 14 by her father and a school teacher, sparking her interest in computer games and BASIC programming.
• She served on the board of trustees of Duke University from 1996 to 2003.
• She was appointed an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2013.
• As of February 2026, her net worth was estimated at US$30.4 billion, making her the world's 72nd wealthiest person.