Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
INSIDE BILL
MICROSOFT magnate Bill Gates fell for new employee Melinda French at a trade-fair dinner.
Yet it was several weeks before the awkward “computer geek” found the courage to ask the product manager for a date – her response was not promising.
Then the world’s youngest billionaire, Bill, aged 32, was romantically inexperienced. He called asking if they could go out “two weeks from tonight”.
The 27-year-old Texan told America’s most famous college dropout: “Two weeks from tonight? I have no idea what I’m doing two weeks from tonight.”
She said: “You’re not spontaneous enough for me.”
That night he called her again, wryly asking: “Is this spontaneous enough for you?” It turns out it was.
Seven years later in 1994 – not before he listed the pros and cons of marriage on a whiteboard – they wed in Hawaii.
They became the world’s greatest philanthropic power couple. But now,
after 27 years, their marriage has come crashing down. Melinda will be the latest member of Silicon Valley’s billionaire ex-wives’ club, joining Mackenzie Scott, who split from the world’s richest man, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
The abruptness of the Gates’ divorce decision and the reason is the subject of fevered gossip.
But one thing is clear, Melinda will almost certainly walk away a billionaire, just as Mackenzie did, possibly with half of their £100billion fortune.
She has already vowed to continue with her philanthropic work.
The Gates’ estate includes properties in five states, a private jet, an astonishing art collection, and a fleet of luxury cars.
Questions are being asked if pursuit of gender equality influenced Melinda’s decision and if she gained the confidence to leave Bill, 65, by the example of Mackenzie, who is thriving.
In June, Mackenzie, 51, and Melinda launched the £22million venture Equality Can’t Wait Challenge, which