Melinda French Gates announced she is resigning from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic foundation she started with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
In a statement shared on social media, French Gates said:
“After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,” she said in a statement shared on social media.
“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” Gates wrote.
“I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together, and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world,” she said.
“The time is right for me to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy,” the 59-year-old billionaire wrote.
“This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world — and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support,” Gates said.
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) May 13, 2024
She noted that she is not leaving empty-handed, writing:
“Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families.”
Bill Gates addressed his ex-wife’s decision in a Monday post on X.
“I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work,” he wrote.
“Looking ahead, I remain fully committed to the Foundation’s work across all our strategies, and to realizing the opportunities we have to continue improving the lives of millions around the world,” Gates said.
I want to thank Melinda for her critical contributions to the Foundation from its very beginning. As a co-founder and co-chair Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 13, 2024
Looking ahead, I… https://t.co/ZEU4D2q76v
Bill and Melinda divorced in May 2021 following the revelations about the Microsoft founder’s connections with sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein.
The Gates Foundation had an endowment of over $75 billion in December and planned to spend $8.6 billion on its philanthropic endeavors in 2024.
READ: DeSantis Crushes Bill Gates, BANS Lab-Grown Meat in Florida
