MELINDA Gates, the ex-wife of Bill Gates, revealed that the two lived separate lives before their divorce was announced.
In a recent interview, Melinda stated that the one-year break was beneficial for the divorce process.
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“It gave us privacy to do what needed to be done in private,” she told Time Magazine.
“You know, I separated before making the full decision about divorce.
“And being able to do that privately while still trying to take care of the kids, while still making certain decisions about how you’re going to untangle your life — thank God.”
During that year, the two divided the time each spent in the family home they shared.
Read more about Melinda Gates
At first, she described the divorce as “painful” but now has a new outlook on life.
“I live in a neighborhood. Now I can walk to small shops. I can walk to the pharmacy, I can walk to a restaurant,” she told the outlet. “I absolutely love it.”
With her birthday approaching, she told the outlet she’s optimistic about what’s to come.
“I feel like, ‘Wow, I’m 60 years old. I better surround myself with people and still travel [so that] I’m still absolutely learning, because the world is moving, the world is changing,’” she explained.
“I am completely free to work however I want.”
US Sun has reached out to Bill and Melinda Gates for comment.
THE NEXT STEP
Melinda made fundamental changes this year, including the decision to leave the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The foundation’s website had previously credited her for her pivotal role in the organization, saying she “shapes and approves strategies, analyzes results, and sets the organization’s overall direction. She works with grantees and partners to advance the foundation’s goals.”
The company’s chief executive, Mark Suzman, previously informed employees that there was always the possibility that Melinda could resign.
“They have agreed that if after two years either of them decides they cannot continue to work together, Melinda will resign as co-president and administrator,” he said in a message obtained by The New York Times.
Who is Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates had a fascinating story
Melinda was born on August 15, 1964, in Dallas, Texas.
She met Bill shortly after joining Microsoft as a product manager in 1987.
The two met at a business dinner in New York City, and after a year of dating, it was reported that Bill had to make a list of pros and cons about their marriage.
The couple finally married on Lanai, Hawaii, when Gates was 38 and Melinda was 29.
She formalized the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 and the couple has shelled out $45 billion to address big global issues like gender equality and poverty.
During their 27 years together, they had three children.
The oldest, Jennifer, arrived on April 26, 1996.
Son Rory was born on May 23, 1999, with youngest daughter Phoebe arriving on September 14, 2002.
Melinda admitted to having mixed feelings about leaving the foundation, but is proud of what they accomplished.
“I’m sad to say goodbye, proud of everything we’ve accomplished, energized for what’s to come and excited to see what you do next,” she said.
“But the emotion I feel most strongly now is gratitude.”
27 YEARS TOGETHER
The couple met in 1987 after Melinda joined Microsoft as a project manager.
The two dated for a year and it was reported that Bill thought about marriage so much that he made a list of pros and cons.
“You know, we cared a lot about each other and there were only two possibilities: either we were going to break up or we were going to get married,” Bill said during the Netflix series Inside Bill’s Brain.
“I took the idea of marriage very seriously.”
The couple would later marry on January 1, 1994, in Lanai, Hawaii.
In 2000, she formalized the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where the company pledged $45 billion to solve global problems.
In 2019, during their 25th wedding anniversary, Melinda admitted that her marriage had been “incredibly difficult” at times, according to Sunday times.
“We’ve just reached a point in life where Bill and I can laugh about more things,” she said.
In 2021, they officially announced the end of their relationship.
“After much reflection and hard work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” they said in a joint statement.
“Over the past 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works around the world to enable all people to live healthy, productive lives.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.
“We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”
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