Melinda Gates. Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Billionaire Melinda Gates, one of the richest people in the world, announced she has resigned from her and ex-husband Bill Gates’ foundation.
“After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” Melinda, 59, wrote via a lengthy Instagram Statement on Monday, May 13. “My last day of work at the foundation will be June 7th.”
Melinda added that the decision did not come “lightly” as she is “immensely proud” of the work she and Bill, 68, did together with the nonprofit. Melinda shared that she is taking her next career steps in “full confidence” as her former organization is in good hands with CEO Mark Suzman and the executive leadership team.
“The time is right for me to move forward into my next chapter of my philanthropy,” she continued. “This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world — those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support.”
Bill Gates and Melinda Gates announced their plans to divorce in May 2021, which came as a shock to many after they shared 27 years of marriage. “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” they shared in a statement […]
As part of her exit from the foundation, Melinda revealed that she will have “an additional $12.5 billion to commit to her next venture of helping women and their families. The amount was agreed upon by Bill as part of her departure.
“I’ll be sharing more about what that will look like in the near future,” she concluded.
After Melinda’s announcement, Bill released a statement thanking her for her service over the years and wished her the best in her future endeavors.
“As a cofounder and cochair Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality,” the Microsoft founder wrote via X on Monday. “Looking ahead, I remain fully committed to the Foundation’s work across all our strategies, and to realizing the opportunities we have to continue improving the lives of millions around the world.”
He added that he was “sorry” to see Melinda leave but was “sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work.”
Melinda and Bill created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the second-largest charitable organization in the world, in 2000. The foundation was created with the hopes of enhancing healthcare and reducing poverty around the world.
An unexpected end. Bill Gates‘ split from Melinda Gates after 27 years of marriage sparked plenty of questions — and the pair have slowly opened up about what went wrong. In May 2021, the cofounders of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced they were going their separate ways. “After a great deal of thought […]
In May 2021, the pair announced their plans to divorce after 27 years of marriage. Despite their split, Melinda and Bill planned on continuing their work together at the foundation.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the duo shared in a joint statement at the time. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives. We continue to share a believer in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
Bill and Melinda finalized their divorce three months after calling it quits. No financial judgment was awarded as well as no spousal support and child support was ordered. The exes share three children: daughters Jennifer, 28, and Phoebe, 21 and son Rory, 24. Melinda and Bill became grandparents in February 2023 when Jennifer welcomed her first child with husband Nayel Nassar.
