Microsoft founder and CEO Bill Gates issued a public apology to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, after the latter opened up about her life and her "painful" divorce with her husband.
In a statement, the 66-year-old billionaire entrepreneur said that he "will always be sorry" for the pain that he caused to Melinda and their family. The couple share three children: Jennifer, 25, Phoebe, 19, and son Rory, 22 years old.
Melinda Gates on Divorce
The tech CEO said that he admired Melinda and everything his ex-wife had done to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide. Gates added that he was also thankful for the work that the couple continued to do together through their foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Gates' statement and apology come after his ex-wife said that no one moment, in particular, caused them to fall out. In an interview, Melinda said that there had just reached a point in time that there was enough that she realized the relationship she had with Gates was not healthy and that she "couldn't trust" what they had, as per People.
When the two of them got married in 1994, Melinda said she believed that they would be together "till death do us part." However, their marriage only lasted 27 years after announcing their split last May. Melinda said that she never expected to be divorced and that her split with Gates would be the talk of the world.
She said that she needed to take a different path and revealed that she understood the announcement of the divorce would surprise a lot of people. Melinda said she felt bad about disappointing others and noted how she did not expect how big of a controversy her marriage would end.
According to CBS News, after the announcement of the divorce, Gates admitted to having an affair during his marriage with his ex-wife. Melinda said she thought that she and her ex-husband would work through their issues, but it was something that they were unable to accomplish.
Reason for the Split
Furthermore, Melinda opened up about being upset with Gates during his past meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While there were many factors to the end of their marriage, Melinda said that Gates' meetings with Epstein were a big factor.
Melinda revealed that she once met with Epstein before the disgraced financier died in jail in August 2019 while waiting for a trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. She said she was curious to see who the man was and noted she regretted meeting Epstein when she stepped in the door.
"Meeting with Epstein was a mistake that I regret deeply. It was a substantial error in judgment," said Gates in a statement issued by his spokeswoman. The billionaire philanthropist said he continued to remain dedicated to his work at his and his ex-wife's foundation.
A Microsoft employee, who is believed to be the woman Gates had an affair with, sent a letter in 2019 revealing her relationship with the entrepreneur. The letter prompted some board members to investigate the issue, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Related Article: Melinda Gates Breaks Her Silence About Divorce with Bill Gates; Reveals Microsoft Co-Founder's Affair After Separation
