"I knew when I got divorced, I would be okay on my own. And I think that was the most important thing," Melinda French Gates said.

Melinda French Gates isn't thinking twice about her divorce from billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The 60-year-old philanthropist reacted to her ex-husband calling their split “the mistake I most regret” during an interview with Elle for the magazine’s 2025 Women of Impact issue.

Melinda French Gates has shared some insight into her 2021 divorce from Bill Gates. The philanthropist candidly spoke with Elle magazine in an article published on Monday, March 17, about the split that changed her life.