His divorce from Melinda Gates, which occurred after 27 years of marriage, is the thing that Bill Gates has stated would always be the thing that he regrets the most in his life.
In a Saturday interview with the Times of London, Bill said that while he's happier now, the end of his marriage remains his greatest regret.
According to him, the grief of the divorce was painful for both him and Melinda for at least two years. He stated that despite the fact that he has had numerous failures, none of them match to the pain of the divorce.
Following their breakup, the couple has continued to keep up a cordial friendship, despite the fact that they are both currently dating other individuals.
"Melinda and I still see each other we have three kids and two grandchildren so there are family events. The kids are doing well. They have good values," Bill said.
In a different part of the profile, the billionaire stated that the marriage of the couple helped him remain "grounded" when he was building his firm that is worth a trillion dollars.
Bill and Melinda married in 1994 and have three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 22. They announced their separation in May 2021, after living apart for a year.
Melinda, 60, shared that being separated during the Covid-19 pandemic provided her with clarity about the state of her marriage.
She explained that the separation allowed them the privacy to address what needed to be addressed privately.
However, she also admitted that although their split was the "healthier choice," it marked the "lowest moment" in her life.
In a 2022 interview, Bill acknowledged that he had caused pain when Melinda confronted him about allegations of an affair with a Microsoft employee, per Page Six.
Bill admitted making mistakes and taking responsibility for them. He stated that while delving into the details wouldn't be constructive, he did cause pain and deeply regretted it.
Meanwhile, Melinda shared that another reason for the breakdown of their marriage was Bill's connection with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a 2022 interview with Gayle King, Melinda explained that she had clearly told Bill she disapproved of his meetings with Epstein, calling him "abhorrent" and "evil personified."
Bill has referred to his business relationship with Epstein, who committed suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on accusations of sex trafficking, as a "mistake."
In the month of October 2024, Melinda disclosed that she was in a relationship with her lover, Philip Vaughn.
During their supper at Le Bernardin in New York City, she was seen walking out with the businessman while holding hands with him.
In the meantime, Bill has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, from the year 2023.
Business Times has reached out to Bill Gates for additional comments.
