Bill Gates discussed his tumultuous divorce at the private Allen & Co. "summer camp for billionaires" last week, in an emotional session that left one guest on the edge of tears, according to one attendee.
CNBC host Becky Quick asked Bill Gates about his divorce from Melinda, his wife of 27 years, and the future of the Gates Foundation during an "off the record" Q&A session following his presentation on climate change. When describing the end of his marriage, Gates did not use the word "affair," one participant told The New York Post, who also described the session as "very moving."
Bill Gates blames himself
Bill Gates blamed himself for his divorce from Melinda during the Sun Valley billionaires conference, when he "spilled" about their divorce. Gates gave a presentation about climate change on Friday before allegedly disclosing his divorce. The Idaho conference, dubbed as "summer camp for billionaires" by some, attracts the greatest names in tech and media every year; 2021 seemed to be no exception.
However, not everyone was thrilled by Gate's overall demeanor, with one attendee claiming that the renowned tech mogul seemed "agitated" throughout his visit and blew off other guests who sought to approach him. According to sources, Quick also omitted to address another elephant in the room: Gates' alleged relationship with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The scandal-plagued Microsoft co-founder made the remarks after arriving late at the exclusive Sun Valley, Idaho, to attend an exclusive dinner hosted by former Allen & Co. President Herb Allen, where he broke bread Thursday night with heavy hitters such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sheryl Sandber.
After his divorce from Melinda Gates, 56, was announced in May, news of his alleged extramarital relationships and questions about the nature of his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein surfaced. Melinda stated in her divorce papers that their marriage was "irretrievably broken."
Per Daily Mail, following the announcement of the divorce, it was revealed that Gates, who was CEO of Microsoft at the time, had an inappropriate sexual connection with a female employee in 2000 and resigned while the corporate board investigated into the relationship. The affair was revealed after a Microsoft employee detailed it in a letter to the board in 2019 - and allegedly requested that Gates' estranged wife see the message.
While the inquiry was still ongoing, Gates abruptly resigned from the board of directors in March 2020. His spokesperson confirmed that he had an affair over 20 years ago but claimed it had nothing to do with his decision to leave Microsoft's board of directors. The news comes in the wake of two shocking revelations about the couple's marriage falling apart.
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Gates Foundation staff are freaking out
Staff at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are "freaking out" over the organization's future, according to a former top official. The foundation announced an agreement to work together for another two years on Wednesday, guaranteeing French Gates' status as co-chair in the short term, The Independent via MSN reported.
Trustees will be selected to supervise the foundation's work alongside Bill Gates and French Gates, according to the foundation. Staffers were reportedly concerned that the divorce would put the billion-dollar foundation's credibility at risk.
Bill and French Gates have underlined their commitment to the foundation's future, which is estimated to be worth $55 billion and has spent billions battling poverty and disease around the world. The decision to remain as co-chairs were made to guarantee the continuity of the foundation's activities, according to a press release. However, if either determines after two years that they cannot continue to work together as co-chairs, French Gates would leave her role as co-chair and trustee, it stated.
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