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Bill Gates admits divorcing Melinda left him ‘miserable’ and full of regret: ‘Greatest mistake’

ByAditi Srivastava
Jan 26, 2025 06:00 AM IST

Bill Gates reflected on his divorce from Melinda as his biggest regret. Now dating Paula Hurd, he emphasizes the importance of their continued friendship.

In a recent interview with The Times, Bill Gates admitted that divorcing his ex-wife, Melinda, was probably one of the mistakes he regrets the most. The Microsoft co founder revealed that while he has made plenty of other mistakes, none of them compare to this one. The pair, who were married for 27 years, have since moved on and appear to have found love again.

Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates (R) and his wife Melinda listen to the speech by French President Francois Hollande, prior to being awarded Commanders of the Legion of Honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kamil Zihnioglu/Pool/File Photo (REUTERS)
Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates (R) and his wife Melinda listen to the speech by French President Francois Hollande, prior to being awarded Commanders of the Legion of Honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kamil Zihnioglu/Pool/File Photo (REUTERS)

Bill Gates reveals divorcing Melinda was his ‘biggest regret’

At 69, Gates is now dating Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. Despite moving on, he maintains a close friendship with his ex-wife, Melinda, with whom he shares three children. In an interview with The Times in London, Gates reflected on how family and marriage provided the stability that kept him ‘grounded’ while he built his trillion-dollar company.

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"I'm more cheerful now," he said, but admitted that divorce was 'the mistake “I regret the most.” The Microsoft co-founder claimed his divorce from Melinda tops the list of his biggest failures.

“There are others, but none that matter,” he said. “The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.”

As of now both Melinda and him have started dating other people but the exes have managed to remain on good terms with each other which is for the good of their children and grandchildren.

"Melinda and I still spend time together as a family. We have three children and two grandchildren, so there are always family events," Bill shared, adding, "The kids are doing well and have strong values." The former couple, who share Jennifer (28), Rory (25), and Phoebe (22), announced their divorce in May 2021, though they had been separated for a year prior.

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Who are Bill Gates and Melinda dating after their separation?

Bill and Melinda officially divorced in 2021, with both saying that the privacy offered by the COVID-19 lockdowns helped them quietly go through the process. Gates is now dating Paula Hurd, a mother of two. The couple made their first red carpet-appearance together in April 2024 at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony and have since been seen together several times.

As for Melinda, she's starting fresh with her new boyfriend, entrepreneur Philip Vaughn. Vaughn worked as a programmer at Microsoft for nearly nine years and is now the founder and chairman of Tavour, a craft beer delivery company he launched in 2011.

In a 2022 interview, Bill Gates acknowledged causing pain to his ex-wife Melinda after she confronted him about his alleged affair with a Microsoft employee. Melinda, in turn, cited Bill's relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a major factor in their divorce, calling it "abhorrent."

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