Melinda Gates Breaks Her Silence About Divorce with Bill Gates; Reveals Microsoft Co-Founder's Affair After Separation

For the first time, Melinda Gates addressed the repercussions of her ex-husband Bill Gates' adultery throughout their marriage.

Bill Gates, 66, reportedly had a years-long romance with one of Microsoft's programmers that began in 2000, just after Melinda Gates announced her breakup from Bill Gates in May 2021. "There was an affair approximately 20 years ago that ended peacefully," a spokesman later revealed in a statement.

Melinda Gates: Trust Is Broken

The 57-year-old, who surprised the world when Melinda Gates and Bill Gates announced they were splitting their 27-year marriage in May 2021, is featured in a preview teaser for the interview, which will run on March 3, implying that her relationship with the billionaire businessman was "trust broken."

In a video, she speaks up for the first time about her husband's infidelity; it was discovered last year that Bill Gates had an extramarital affair with a female Microsoft employee in 2000, six years after he and Melinda married.

Melinda revealed to Gayle that the pair tried to 'work through the betrayal, but that their trust could not be reestablished in the end. She claimed that she was upset by the breakup while understanding that divorce was her only option. She had hoped that their marriage would last a lifetime during most of their marriage.

The interview, which is the first time Melinda has spoken publicly about her divorce from Bill, comes 10 months after the former couple announced their separation to the world and only seven months after they finalized their $130 billion divorce deal. While Bill and Melinda Gates have been quiet on the reason for their breakup, the Microsoft founder has been shaken by allegations that he behaved improperly with female colleagues at the firm only weeks after their announcement.

Multiple rumors arose in May 2021 that the billionaire had extramarital affairs with female Microsoft employees; during that same month, Bill's spokeswoman revealed that he had an affair with a female Microsoft employee in 2000 when he was married to Melinda, Daily Mail reported.

Bill, Melinda Gates Try To Work on the Foundation

Bill Gates said his split from Melinda was a "very sad milestone" and a source of "personal sadness" shortly after the divorce was finalized. Gates told the anchor that he and his ex-wife will continue their philanthropy work together, citing her "incredible strengths" in furthering the missions of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Melinda has stated that she intends to continue working with Bill on the foundation for at least another two years. Bill and Melinda Gates were seen together at the wedding of their oldest child, Jennifer Gates, 25, who married Nayel Nassar, a 30-year-old equestrian, in Westchester County last October, as per New York Post.

Last year, the 65-year-old stepped down from Microsoft's board of directors to focus on their charity initiatives, making him the world's second-richest person - with a meager $124 billion fortune.

Following his divorce from his ex-wife Melinda, he is now the world's fifth-richest man. According to estimates, despite giving $50 billion to charity since 1994, Gates is making more money than he is donating.

On March 13, 2020, Bill Gates resigned from Microsoft's board of directors, nearly 45 years after co-founding the firm with Paul Allen and 20 years after stepping down as CEO in 2000. Gates and his two sisters, as well as his parents, grew up in Seattle, Washington. After dropping out of college, he co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen, according to The Sun.