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Inside the marriage of Bill and Melinda Gates

Finance

Inside the marriage of Bill and Melinda Gates

Published

6 years ago

on

September 30, 2018

By

Áine Cain

Bill and Melinda Gates Melinda Gates didn’t think her future husband was “spontaneous” enough at first.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, married Melinda French in 1994.
They met at Microsoft when Melinda was brought on a product manager. She initially turned down Bill’s request for a date at a company picnic.
Today, they run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has an endowment of $40.3 billion.

Melinda French was less than impressed when her boss asked her out on a date.

It was 1987, and the recent Duke graduate had just joined Microsoft as a product manager. CEO Bill Gates approached her at a company picnic and asked if she’d be interested in grabbing dinner in two weeks. She responded, “That’s not spontaneous enough for me,” Fortune reported in 2015.

Fast-forward three decades, and Bill and Melinda Gates are married with three kids, worth $98.1 billion, and run a namesake philanthropic enterprise boasting a $50.7 billion endowment.

Here’s a look at their marriage.

At the picnic, Melinda gave Bill her number and told him to call her closer to the day he had in mind.

At the picnic, Melinda gave Bill her number and told him to call her closer to the day he had in mind.

Stevan Morgain/AP Images

Source: Business Insider

Instead, he called her up later that night with a wry question: “Is this spontaneous enough for you?” Turns out, it was.

Instead, he called her up later that night with a wry question: "Is this spontaneous enough for you?" Turns out, it was.

Lennox McLendon/File/AP Images

Source: Business Insider

Melinda and Bill dated for seven years before they wed. Melinda told Fortune her mom didn’t think that seeing the CEO was a good idea in the beginning.

Melinda and Bill dated for seven years before they wed. Melinda told Fortune her mom didn't think that seeing the CEO was a good idea in the beginning.

Douglas C. Pizac/File/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, Fortune

But the couple didn’t listen. Business Insider’s Tanza Loudenback reported they “kept a low profile at work and asked colleagues and family members to respect their privacy.”

Tran Van Minh/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, Seattle Times, Business Insider

“When I look back, Bill was the same kind of guy I was hanging out with in college,” Melinda told Fortune. “I had a lot of respect for them, and they had respect for me.”

"When I look back, Bill was the same kind of guy I was hanging out with in college," Melinda told Fortune. "I had a lot of respect for them, and they had respect for me."

Andy Rogers/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, Fortune

“I was definitely attracted to his brilliant mind, but beyond that, his curiosity,” she told Fortune. “And he has a huge sense of fun. I love that wry side of him.”

"I was definitely attracted to his brilliant mind, but beyond that, his curiosity," she told Fortune. "And he has a huge sense of fun. I love that wry side of him."

Elaine Thompson/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, Fortune

After they were engaged, Bill and Melinda traveled to Africa in late 1993. During the trip, they encountered people in extreme poverty.

After they were engaged, Bill and Melinda traveled to Africa in late 1993. During the trip, they encountered people in extreme poverty.

Manny Ceneta / Stringer / Getty Images

Source: TED, Business Insider

On a walk on a beach in Zanzibar, Melinda told TED in an interview, the couple “started to talk about” how they might use their fortune to help others.

On a walk on a beach in Zanzibar, Melinda told TED in an interview, the couple "started to talk about" how they might use their fortune to help others.

Ivan Pavlov/Shutterstock

Source: TED, Business Insider

That’s when the idea that would ultimately become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began to take root. “It’s not fair that we have so much wealth when billions of others have so little,” Melinda wrote, in the couple’s most recent annual letter.

That's when the idea that would ultimately become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation began to take root. "It's not fair that we have so much wealth when billions of others have so little," Melinda wrote, in the couple's most recent annual letter.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Source: Gates Notes

To keep the wedding private, Bill booked all the rooms in the hotel, along with all of the helicopters on the island of Maui to “prevent unwanted visitors from flying over,” Forbes reported.

To keep the wedding private, Bill booked all the rooms in the hotel, along with all of the helicopters on the island of Maui to "prevent unwanted visitors from flying over," Forbes reported.

Dave Weaver/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, EasyWeddings.com, Forbes

Bill’s parents gifted the newlyweds with a sculpture of two birds, sitting side-by-side and staring at the horizon. “It’s still in front of our house,” Melinda wrote in the couples’ 2018 annual letter. “I think of it all the time, because fundamentally we’re looking in the same direction.”

Bill's parents gifted the newlyweds with a sculpture of two birds, sitting side-by-side and staring at the horizon. "It's still in front of our house," Melinda wrote in the couples' 2018 annual letter. "I think of it all the time, because fundamentally we’re looking in the same direction."

Bachkova Natalia/Shutterstock

Source: Gates Notes

The next year, the couple’s lavish home — nicknamed “Xanadu 2.0” — was completed in Medina, Washington. The mansion’s estimated worth was $124 million in 2016.

The next year, the couple's lavish home — nicknamed "Xanadu 2.0" — was completed in Medina, Washington. The mansion's estimated worth was $124 million in 2016.

Dan Callister / Getty Images

Source: Business Insider, The Economic Times

The couple has raised two daughters and a son — and didn’t let any of them own a cellphone until they were 14, according to The Mirror.

The couple has raised two daughters and a son — and didn't let any of them own a cellphone until they were 14, according to The Mirror.

Elaine Thompson/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider, The Mirror

Bill told Rolling Stone the children were raised Catholic. “We’ve raised our kids in a religious way,” he said. “They’ve gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in.”

Bill told Rolling Stone the children were raised Catholic. "We've raised our kids in a religious way," he said. "They've gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in."

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Source: Rolling Stone

Bill and Melinda would read books from a range of genres to their kids as they grew up, from “Guess How Much I Love You” to “Fahrenheit 451.”

Bill and Melinda would read books from a range of genres to their kids as they grew up, from "Guess How Much I Love You" to "Fahrenheit 451."

Nati Harnik/AP Images

Source: Business Insider

Gates has said his wife is a driving force when it comes to bringing the family together. “Melinda is very creative about helping me find chances to spend time with the kids,” Gates wrote in a 2017 Reddit AMA. “Even just driving them to school is a great time to talk to them.”

Gates has said his wife is a driving force when it comes to bringing the family together. "Melinda is very creative about helping me find chances to spend time with the kids," Gates wrote in a 2017 Reddit AMA. "Even just driving them to school is a great time to talk to them."

John Moore/Getty Images

Source: Reddit

Each of the Gates’ kids will inherit about $10 million of their parents’ $98.1 billion fortune, while much of the rest will go to charitable causes.

Each of the Gates' kids will inherit about $10 million of their parents' $98.1 billion fortune, while much of the rest will go to charitable causes.

Yana Paskova / Getty

Source: Business Insider, TED, Bankrate.com

“We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing,” Bill told TED.

"We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing," Bill told TED.

Mark J. Terrill/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, TED, Bankrate.com

The Gates also support their kids in other ways. The couple spent $37 million purchasing a string of Wellington, Florida properties in 2016. The reason? Their daughter Jennifer is a nationally ranked show jumper, and the Florida town is the equestrian capital of the US.

The Gates also support their kids in other ways. The couple spent $37 million purchasing a string of Wellington, Florida properties in 2016. The reason? Their daughter Jennifer is a nationally ranked show jumper, and the Florida town is the equestrian capital of the US.

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider, Business Insider

According to Melinda, Bill was used to being in charge from his Microsoft days when they first started the foundation.

Source: Gates Notes

But these days, Bill and Melinda work as partners at the foundation. They both received Presidential Medals of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama for their efforts.

But these days, Bill and Melinda work as partners at the foundation. They both received Presidential Medals of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama for their efforts.

Kamil Zihnioglu, Pool/AP Images

Source: Business Insider, The White House

They work to make sure their schedules are synchronized, complimentary, and balanced. “Melinda and I look over our schedules a lot to make sure we are balancing things well,” Gates wrote in a 2018 Reddit AMA.

They work to make sure their schedules are synchronized, complimentary, and balanced. "Melinda and I look over our schedules a lot to make sure we are balancing things well," Gates wrote in a 2018 Reddit AMA.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

Source: Reddit

In response to a question about how the couple handles arguments, Melinda jokingly wrote “we never disagree” in the Gates’ 2018 annual letter.

In response to a question about how the couple handles arguments, Melinda jokingly wrote "we never disagree" in the Gates' 2018 annual letter.

Darren McCollester, Getty

Source: Gates Notes

“Our occasional disagreements these days are over tactics. Because I’ve been a public figure longer, and because I’m a man, some people assume I am making the big decisions. That’s never been the case,” Bill wrote in the Gates Foundation’s annual letter for 2018.

"Our occasional disagreements these days are over tactics. Because I've been a public figure longer, and because I’m a man, some people assume I am making the big decisions. That's never been the case," Bill wrote in the Gates Foundation's annual letter for 2018.

TED/James Duncan Davidson

Source: Gates Notes

Warren Buffett, who is close with the couple, told Fortune that Bill was “smart as hell, obviously,” but that “in terms of seeing the whole picture,” Melinda was smarter.

Warren Buffett, who is close with the couple, told Fortune that Bill was "smart as hell, obviously," but that "in terms of seeing the whole picture," Melinda was smarter.

Seth Wenig/AP Images

Source: Fortune, Business Insider

In a Reddit AMA, Gates disclosed that his wife and Buffett were his two favorite celebrities…

In a Reddit AMA, Gates disclosed that his wife and Buffett were his two favorite celebrities...

Spencer Platt / Getty

Source: Reddit

… followed by Bono and Jimmy Carter. He added that Nelson Mandela was the most impressive political leader he’s ever met.

... followed by Bono and Jimmy Carter. He added that Nelson Mandela was the most impressive political leader he's ever met.

Michael Dalder/Reuters

Source: Reddit

When it comes to their working partnership, Bill wrote that the perception that Melinda is “the heart” of the organization is a bit of a stereotype, in the 2018 annual letter.

When it comes to their working partnership, Bill wrote that the perception that Melinda is "the heart" of the organization is a bit of a stereotype, in the 2018 annual letter.

ED Bailey/AP Images

Source: Gates Notes

“Just as she knows I’m more emotional than people realize, I know she’s more analytical than people realize. When I get really enthusiastic about something, I count on her to make sure I’m being realistic.”

"Just as she knows I'm more emotional than people realize, I know she's more analytical than people realize. When I get really enthusiastic about something, I count on her to make sure I'm being realistic."

Michel Euler/AP Images

Source: Gates Notes

“Melinda and I believe that everyone deserves the chance for a healthy and productive life — and so with the help of our amazing partners, we are working to find innovative ways to help people in need all over the world,” Bill wrote during one of his Reddit AMAs.

"Melinda and I believe that everyone deserves the chance for a healthy and productive life — and so with the help of our amazing partners, we are working to find innovative ways to help people in need all over the world," Bill wrote during one of his Reddit AMAs.

Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

Source: Reddit

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