10 Points to Know About Melinda French Gates

Melinda Anne French was born on August 15, 1964, in Dallas, Texas, USA.

[{"selector":"#anim-25c3ca75-7216-4333-a02d-0590fbcdf2c4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-49866709-e7a6-4466-9891-2f0023a8d971","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Melinda Gates worked at Microsoft from 1987 to 1996, where she was a project manager for products like Microsoft Encarta.

[{"selector":"#anim-500f3f3a-46d7-4ee7-9997-c6804864dca4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-68.43854%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0fae2e7-776a-4481-a10d-c8854d1dd8f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00f4497a-dbb2-404a-bd23-01f2590fd5ee","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Melinda Married Bill Gates in 1994; they divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

[{"selector":"#anim-f25b3817-61ad-42f8-b7a5-65dd5401d5a6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a29f8b77-0807-4a7d-9897-70e8d326d573","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

In 2000, Melinda and Bill Gates co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private charitable organization and she left the Foundation in June 2024.

[{"selector":"#anim-28d27968-c0e7-43ca-9d74-96db2d0b4db6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7f050c77-d356-4145-803e-c4bca54f615b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

In 2015, Melinda Gates launched her own independent investment company, Pivotal Ventures, which focuses on advancing social progress and expanding women's power in the world.

[{"selector":"#anim-17785a37-fa90-458e-9320-822e88cc89a0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-359cdaeb-42b5-435e-bef2-54117d96733f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Melinda Gates was featured on Forbes’ list of the world's most powerful women.

[{"selector":"#anim-4328e4c3-51df-4a9b-81e4-f8358fa7007c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c2862b0a-6a6c-4cd4-9992-7d483bf4a8b4","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016) was awarded to Melinda Gates by President Barack Obama for her global philanthropic work.

[{"selector":"#anim-d0fec6c0-05c4-46c7-b3a0-e131cd9e7fc2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a81cda6b-1f76-4441-ab73-1fa639f0f25e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Melinda Gates published her new book, "The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward," on April 15, 2025.

[{"selector":"#anim-cdb71713-e8d7-42d1-a1cb-18c41a944bdc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8e67bc4-c8ba-4d36-8ffb-a7e87ae43c7a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

As of May 2025, her net worth is approximately $30.4 billion, largely from her divorce settlement and investments.

[{"selector":"#anim-eac4fd56-2a7c-4edb-96ad-2725bb8171bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2525d986-c71c-402f-a561-55313c5286aa","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Melinda Gates continues to be a driving force for gender equality and human development.

[{"selector":"#anim-18ca831a-0017-4db9-b226-94ac70ef610b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fbb2a959-193d-430a-8b2c-2400a9b8256d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]