Historical Figure
Melinda Gates
b. 1964
American philanthropist (born 1964)
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"TED Talk: What Nonprofits Can Learn from Coca-Cola" — 2010
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Biography
Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she attended Duke University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics and an MBA. She joined Microsoft in 1987 as a multimedia product developer. In the same year, she began dating the company's co-founder and then-chief executive Bill Gates, whom she married in 1994 and divorced in 2021. They have three children together.
Timeline
The story of Melinda Gates, told in moments.
Born Melinda Ann French in Dallas, Texas. Her father was an aerospace engineer. She excelled at math. Got a computer at age 14. Earned a degree from Duke, then an MBA. Joined Microsoft in 1987 as a product manager.
Marries Bill Gates on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. He rents every helicopter on Maui to prevent paparazzi from flying over. They start talking about philanthropy early. The question isn't whether to give the money away. It's how.
Co-founds the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which becomes the largest private charitable foundation in the world. She focuses on global health, education, and women's access to contraception. Over $50 billion in grants over the next two decades.
Announces divorce from Bill Gates after 27 years. She receives a reported $6.3 billion settlement. Leaves the foundation in 2024. Launches Pivotal Ventures, her own philanthropic organization focused on women and families. She keeps the name French Gates.
In Their Own Words (1)
Artifacts (15)
break him like a glass, but it's not worth the trouble
of Talleyrand in front of Napoleon's marshals, during which Napoleon famously claimed that he could "break him like a glass, but it's not worth the trouble" and added with a scatological tone that...
Prendre son envol: Les combats de l'une des femmes les plus inspirantes au monde
Avec sincérité et émotion, Melinda Gates partage son parcours et ses réflexions pour un monde plus généreux qui offrirait aux femmes les mêmes opportunités qu'aux hommes. Des réflexions issues de ses...
Wir sind viele, wir sind eins: Wenn wir die Rechte der Frauen stärken, verändern wir die Welt
Die Stiftung von Melinda und Bill Gates investiert jedes Jahr Milliarden Dollar in den Kampf gegen Hunger und Armut. Nun meldet sich Melinda Gates, eine der einflussreichsten Frauen dieser Erde, zu...
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