Key takeaways from Bill Gates' reflections:

• Bill Gates calls his divorce from Melinda French Gates his greatest regret.
• The couple's split came after 27 years of marriage and significant philanthropic collaboration.
• Gates' connection with Jeffrey Epstein reportedly influenced the couple's separation.
• Gates and Melinda remain committed to co-parenting their three children.
• Gates discusses his early life and experiences in his upcoming memoir “Source Code: My Beginnings.”

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world's most affluent individuals, has opened up about his feelings surrounding the divorce from Melinda French Gates in a recent interview with HuffPost. He labeled the 2021 separation as “the mistake I most regret,” emphasizing how personally devastating the process was for both of them. After nearly three decades of marriage, during which they established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the split highlighted not only their personal strife but also the challenges faced by high-profile couples in the public eye.

Reflecting on their marriage, Gates remarked, “There is a certain wonderfulness to spending your entire adult life with one person, because of the memories and depth of things you have done and having kids together.” The couple, who share three adult children—Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe—continue to prioritize family despite their separation. “Melinda and I still see each other; we have three kids and two grandchildren so there are family events,” he stated, acknowledging their ongoing connection as co-parents.

While Gates has described their marriage as a stabilizing force that contributed to his professional success, he also addressed issues that surfaced leading up to their divorce, particularly his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Melinda previously expressed discomfort over Gates' meetings with Epstein, describing the individual as “abhorrent” and asserting that this concern played a role in their marital troubles. Gates has since recognized his associations with Epstein as “a mistake that I regret deeply,” as reported by USA Today.

In addition to discussing his personal life, Gates is actively promoting his upcoming memoir titled “Source Code: My Beginnings,” set for release on February 4, 2025. This memoir dives into the early chapters of his life, detailing experiences that shaped him as he became a prominent tech figure. Gates plans two follow-up volumes aimed at covering his years at Microsoft and his philanthropic endeavors, respectively.

Despite the personal challenges marked by his divorce, Gates continues to work alongside Melinda on various initiatives and expresses hope for future collaboration. As both navigate their new paths—Gates is dating Paula Hurd, while Melinda leads her own philanthropic efforts through Pivotal Ventures—they remain dedicated to their legacy of charitable work.Source