Why Did Bill and Melinda Gates Divorce? Inside the End of Their 27-Year Marriage

Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce became one of the costliest and most intensely scrutinized splits in modern history.

The ex-couple got married in Hawaii on January 1, 1994, and welcomed three children before announcing their separation in May 2021. Their 27-year marriage officially ended on August 2, 2021, when a judge finalized their divorce.

Here's everything to know about what led to Bill and Melinda's divorce.

Bill and Melinda announced their decision to divorce in a joint statement posted on X on May 3, 2021. At the time, they revealed they had agreed to end their marriage "after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on [their] relationship."

They did not disclose the exact reason behind the split, but they added in the statement, "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."

Melinda gave her first individual post-divorce interview on CBS Mornings in March 2022. During the sit-down, she divulged the reasons behind the separation, including Bills' extramarital affairs and his controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

"As I said, it's not one thing, it was many things. But I did not like that he'd had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no," she told Gayle King.

She also said of the divorce, "I mean, this is painful stuff. And at the end of the day though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I'm starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter now. I mean, it's 2022 and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me."

Melinda revealed in a separate interview with Fortune that she had "some reasons" she could no longer remain in the marriage.

Meanwhile, the tech titan called losing Melinda the mistake he most regrets.

"You would have to put that at the top of the list," he told The Times. "There are others but none that matter. The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years."

Bill's extramarital affairs first came to light when The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft had investigated his prior "inappropriate" romantic relationship with a female employee.

During his congressional testimony before the House Oversight committee on June 10, he named three of his extramarital mistresses: Mila Antonova, a Russian bridge player; Karima Nigmatulina, a Russian nuclear physicist; and Alice Jacobs Nesselrodt, a medical entrepreneur.

In addition to his cheating scandals, Bill's "deeply disturbing" ties to Jeffrey came to light.

"That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill's conduct – questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values," Melinda wrote in her memoir, The Next Day.

She previously reacted to Bill being named in the files related to the late s-- offender, saying it brought back "painful times" in her marriage.

"I am so happy to be away from all the muck," she said.

In February, Bill told 9 News in Australia he "regrets" every minute he spent with Jeffrey and clarified he only went to dinners with the convicted s-- offender until 2014. He also denied contracting a sexually transmitted disease that he hid from Melinda when they were still married.

"Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent," he said, referring to the draft emails included in the released Epstein files. "The email is false. I don't know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way? Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that."

In a 2024 interview with The Sunday Times, Melinda reiterated the split was "something that was necessary."

"If you can't live your values out inside your most intimate relationship, it was necessary," she added. "I don't even quite know what to make of that statement, so I'm not going to comment on what he says. He's got his own life. I have my life now. I am very happy."

The philanthropist then said on the February 5 episode of NPR's "Wild Card" podcast she had learned to trust again in her new relationship after divorcing Bill due to a lack of trust and honesty.