Editing Bill Gates (section)

=== Marriage, family and divorce ===
[[File:Bill og Melinda Gates 2009-06-03 (bilde 01).JPG|thumb|Gates with then wife [[Melinda Gates|Melinda]], June 2009]]

In 1987, at a trade fair in New York, Gates met [[Melinda Gates|Melinda French]], then a recent graduate of [[Duke University]] who had begun working at Microsoft around four months earlier.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fleury |first=Michelle |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Bill and Melinda Gates divorce after 27 years of marriage |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56975466 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Gates and French became engaged in 1993 after dating for six years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodd |first=Sophie |date=June 26, 2024 |title=Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates' Relationship Timeline |url=https://people.com/human-interest/bill-gates-melinda-french-gates-relationship-timeline/ |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=People |language=en}}</ref> They married on January 1, 1994, at the 12th hole of the [[Jack Nicklaus]]–designed Manele Golf Course on the Hawaiian Island of [[Lanai|Lānaʻi]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liao |first=Christina |date=July 31, 2017 |title=You Can Now Have Your Wedding Where Bill Gates Got Married |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinaliao/2017/07/31/bill-gates-wedding-manele-golf-course-four-seasons-resort-lanai/ |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gammon |first1=Katherine |title=What We'll Miss About Bill Gates — a Very Long Good-Bye |date=May 19, 2008 |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/05/st-billgates/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=May 4, 2021 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413124225/https://www.wired.com/2008/05/st-billgates/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They had three children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodd |first=Sophie |title=Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates' 3 Children: All About Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe |url=https://people.com/parents/all-about-bill-gates-melinda-french-gates-children/ |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref> His eldest daughter Jennifer Gates, was married to Olympic equestrian [[Nayel Nassar]] since October 2021.<ref>{{cite news|last=Scipioni|first=Jade|date=June 26, 2020|title=Bill Gates' daughter Jenn: 'I was born into a huge situation of privilege'|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/bill-gates-daughter-jennifer-on-privilege-and-giving-back.html|publisher=[[CNBC]]|access-date=May 3, 2021|archive-date=April 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423132647/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/26/bill-gates-daughter-jennifer-on-privilege-and-giving-back.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Gates also has two granddaughters, born in March 2023 and October 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calvario |first=Liz |date=March 7, 2023 |title=Bill Gates becomes a first-time grandfather after daughter Jennifer welcomes baby |url=https://www.today.com/parents/celebrity/bill-gates-becomes-first-time-grandfather-daughter-welcomes-baby-rcna73698 |access-date=July 29, 2024 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sacks |first1=Hannah |last2=Clack |first2=Erin |date=November 2, 2024 |title=Jennifer Gates Welcomes Baby No. 2, a Girl, with Husband Nayel Nassar: 'The Best Gift' |url=https://people.com/jennifer-gates-welcomes-baby-no-2-with-husband-nayel-nassar-8730009 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref>

On May 3, 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their decision to divorce after more than 27 years of marriage.<ref name="divorce">{{cite web |last1=Novet |first1=Jordan |title=Bill Gates and Melinda Gates are splitting up after 27 years |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/bill-gates-and-melinda-gates-are-splitting-up.html |website=CNBC |access-date=May 3, 2021 |language=en |date=May 3, 2021 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503203535/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/bill-gates-and-melinda-gates-are-splitting-up.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="divorce-nytimes">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/business/bill-melinda-gates-divorce.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513224416/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/business/bill-melinda-gates-divorce.html |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |url-access=limited|title=The Gateses' Public Split Spotlights a Secretive Fortune |first1=Nicholas |last1=Kulish |first2=David |last2=Gelles |first3=Anupreeta |last3=Das |first4=Kate|last4=Kelly|date=May 13, 2021|work=The New York Times}}</ref> ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that Melinda had begun meeting with divorce attorneys in 2019, citing interviews that suggested Gates's ties with Jeffrey Epstein were among her concerns.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/melinda-gates-was-meeting-with-divorce-lawyers-since-2019-to-end-marriage-with-bill-gates-11620579924|title=Melinda Gates Was Meeting With Divorce Lawyers Since 2019 to End Marriage With Bill Gates|first1=Emily|last1=Glazer|first2=Khadeeja|last2=Safdar|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 9, 2021|access-date=May 12, 2021|archive-date=May 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511000852/https://www.wsj.com/articles/melinda-gates-was-meeting-with-divorce-lawyers-since-2019-to-end-marriage-with-bill-gates-11620579924|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the couple delayed their divorce until their youngest child Phoebe graduated from high school.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=DeSantis |first1=Rachel |last2=Triggs |first2=Charlotte |date=May 7, 2021 |title='Combo of Things' Led to Bill & Melinda Gates' Divorce, But 'Nobody' Wants 'More Scrutiny': Source |url=https://people.com/human-interest/combo-of-things-led-to-bill-melinda-gates-divorce-source/ |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=People |language=en}}</ref> The divorce was finalized on August 2, 2021, and the financial details have remained confidential.<ref name="Kulish2021">{{Cite news |last=Kulish |first=Nicholas |date=August 2, 2021 |title=Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates finalize their divorce |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/business/bill-gates-divorce-melinda-french.html |access-date=September 2, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In February 2023, Gates confirmed that he was dating Paula Hurd, widow of former [[Oracle Corporation]] and [[Hewlett-Packard]] chief executive [[Mark Hurd]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chung |first=Gabrielle |date=February 10, 2023 |title=Paula Hurd, Widow of Late Oracle CEO Is Dating Bill Gates |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/bill-gates-is-dating-paula-hurd-almost-2-years-after-divorce/4097662/ |access-date=July 28, 2024 |website=NBC New York |language=en-US}}</ref> Appearing on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' show in February 2025, he described Hurd as a "serious girlfriend", stating he had "moved past the divorce".<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2025 |title=Bill Gates confirms he has serious girlfriend, says of marriage to Melinda French Gates that he'd 'do it again' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bill-gates-confirms-serious-girlfriend-says-marriage-melinda-gates-rcna190590 |access-date=February 21, 2025 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>