Bill Gates admits that divorcing Melinda Gates is the biggest regret of his life

Bill Gates recently got candid about his divorce from his wife, Melinda Gates, calling it the mistake he regrets the most.

The pair, who had been married for over 27 years, went their separate ways in 2021 in a billion-dollar divorce.

Since their separation, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have remained amicable and have moved on with new partners.

During an interview with The Sunday Times, Bill Gates reflected on his 27-year marriage with Melinda Gates and their divorce, referring to it as “the mistake I regret the most in my life.”

While the 69-year-old Microsoft co-founder acknowledged he has faced other setbacks, he emphasized that none compare to the pain of the split.

He admitted, “There are other mistakes, but this one stands above all,” further explaining that the divorce was a “miserable” experience that lasted for “at least two years” for both him and Melinda.

Despite the challenges, the former couple has managed to maintain a cordial relationship. Both have since moved on and are dating other people.

Bill mentioned that he and Melinda still interact because of their shared family, saying, “Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events.” He also gave an update on their children, stating, “The kids are doing well. They have good values.”

Reflecting on their marriage, Bill credited it with keeping him “grounded” during the creation and growth of his trillion-dollar company.

Bill and Melinda tied the knot in 1994 and share three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. The couple announced their divorce in May 2021 but had been living separately for a year before going public with the news.

In a 2022 interview with USA Today, Melinda, now 60, revealed that it was a “sad day” for her when she realized she was done with her marriage to the billionaire.

While she described the decision to separate as the “healthier choice” for both of them, Melinda also called it the “lowest moment” in her life.

“That wasn’t something I ever thought would happen to me,” she said. “It certainly wasn’t what I thought on the day I got married, but I realized for myself, I needed to make a healthier choice, and that was just a very, very sad day.”

Bill, for his part, has taken accountability for his role in his split from Melinda after 27 years of marriage.

In a 2022 interview with Savannah Guthrie, he admitted to “causing pain” after his then-wife confronted him about reports of an affair with a Microsoft employee.

“I certainly made mistakes, and I take responsibility,” he said at the time.

Gates added, “I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes, I caused pain, and I feel terrible about that.”

In a 2022 interview with Gayle King, Melinda also pointed to Bill’s association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a contributing factor to the breakdown of their marriage.

According to Page Six, she said: “I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. no. I made that clear to him.” Melinda added, “He was abhorrent. He was evil personified.”

Bill has since described his professional ties with Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, as a “mistake.”

Following their split, Bill and Melinda have moved on in their personal lives. In October 2024, Melinda went public with her relationship with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn.

The two were spotted holding hands while heading to dinner at Le Bernardin in New York City. Bill, meanwhile, has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, since 2023.

Bill recently shared details about a rare private dinner with President Donald Trump, describing the nearly three-hour meeting as “intriguing” and leaving him “impressed.”

Despite having supported Trump’s opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election, Gates appeared optimistic after their conversation.

“I had a chance, about two weeks ago, to go have a long and actually quite intriguing dinner with him,” Bill told The Wall Street Journal.

During the wide-ranging discussion, he said they focused heavily on public health, an area central to his philanthropic efforts.

“I felt like he was energized and looking forward to helping to drive innovation,” Bill noted. “I was frankly impressed with how well he showed a lot of interest in the issues I brought up.”