Their Time Together Over 27 Years
Bill and Melinda Gates married in 1994 after seven years of dating. In 2000, they founded the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, which seeks to benefit education, health, and more across the globe. The two have become leaders in their respective fields, and Melinda has been a voice to encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in tech, while also advocating for equitable treatment of women in the workplace.
Bill and Melinda share three children: Jennifer (born 1996), Rory (born 1999), and Phoebe (born 2002). After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda announced that they “made the decision” to go their separate ways on May 3, 2021.
Bill and Melinda are pictured above posing for a photo in Kirkland, Wash. From their perch as the “unofficial deans” of big-ticket philanthropy, it was business as usual for the Gates amid questions about whether altruism by the wealthy is a force for good. At the time the photo was snapped, the couple was speaking out as their annual letter was reviewing the couple’s work and vision in 2018. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is involved in a number of philanthropic focus areas, including global health and development and U.S. education and poverty.
Check out the rest of the gallery to see more images of the couple leading up to their divorce announcement.