Where Bill Gates & Ex-Wife Melinda Stand After Their Messy Divorce

Bill Gates and Melinda Gates' divorce was far more painful than we realized at the time. In a January 2025 interview with the Times of London, the Microsoft co-founder labeled the end of his 27-year marriage "the mistake I regret the most." After insisting that his split from Melinda impacted him more than any of his entrepreneurial and personal failures, Bill confirmed, "The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years." For the tech billionaire, the pain of the longtime couple's split was only further amplified when his philanthropic ex-wife walked away from the charitable institution they co-founded. Sadly, it didn't seem like the exes had a close personal relationship after their 2021 divorce, as Bill revealed that he pretty much only saw his ex-wife at family gatherings.

When the Microsoft co-founder appeared on "Today," in February 2025, he made it clear that he did not want to rekindle his relationship with Melinda. However, Bill also wouldn't do things any differently if he were given a redo because he was so proud of the three children they raised together and the charitable endeavors they had collaborated on. Ultimately, he was happy to report that he had "moved past the divorce." 

Notably, in March 2022, Melinda admitted on CBS News that she wouldn't necessarily deem her ex-husband a "friend" because the wounds from their divorce were still too fresh. Still, they remained amicable. Then, in December 2025, we spotted a sign that the former couple's relationship had finally found greener pastures. According to Inc., Bill donated a whopping $7.9 billion to Melinda's foundation, Pivotal Ventures, through 2025. 

Melinda Gates' love life and career appear to be thriving following her split from Bill Gates. In April 2025, just a couple of months after she was spotted engaging in some subtle PDA with businessman Philip Vaughn, the philanthropist proudly confirmed to People that she was indeed in a new relationship. Although Melinda apparently wanted to keep their romance private, she couldn't help but gush that she was "very, very happy." Moreover, her departure from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the passionate philanthropist the freedom to use her billions in the fight for gender equality. 

According to Forbes' estimate, Melinda had donated an eye-watering $3.6 billion in the four years following her divorce alone. Given all this, it's completely unsurprising that the philanthropist outright scoffed when Elle brought up Bill's admissions about his post-divorce regrets in a March 2025 interview, quipping, "You've clearly Googled more than I have," in response. Melinda Gates is clearly better off without Bill, and it shows, but the Microsoft co-founder isn't doing too bad either. In the years following his divorce, he has been spotted out on several dates with Bill Gates' girlfriend, Paula Hurd. 

Although he also keeps his relationship private for the most part, the tech billionaire did share a tidbit with "Today" in February 2025. "I'm lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula," he affirmed. "We're having fun, going to the Olympics and lots of great things." So, although Bill had to transfer a staggering amount of money to Melinda Gates following their divorce announcement, alongside embarking on an emotional journey to come to terms with their split, it seems that he was ultimately better for it as well.