Linda Gates opens up about her divorce and betrayal months after Bill Gates expressed his regrets

Melinda Gates has provided additional details about her divorce from billionaire ex-husband Bill Gates, highlighting the important role Jeffrey Epstein had in their breakup.

In her new memoir, “The Next Day,” the co-founder of the Gates Foundation explored her widely reported breakup with the business tycoon. She said she became aware of her ex-partner’s marital issues after learning about his interactions with the late convicted sex offender.

For more than twenty years, Melinda and Bill Gates seemed to be the ideal elite marriage, with three amazing children. But with Jeffrey Epstein’s downfall and the billionaire’s suspected infidelity, their idyllic lives came crumbling down.

After Melinda Gates’s ex-husband’s interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, she experienced nightmares.

Melinda did not mince words in her recent memoir, saying that after Bill’s contact with Epstein was made public, her emotional stability deteriorated. She claimed that the news gave her nightmares, which she later came to associate with her failed marriage.

In her letter, the donor emphasized how strongly Bill’s contact with the sexual offender affected her: “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,” bemoaned Melinda in her book. 

Her discussion of the fallout from Bill’s contact with Epstein is not new. According to a 2022 interview with Page Six, she once asserted that their closeness had caused a rift between them, saying:

The fact that he met with Jeffrey Epstein did not sit well with me. I told him that clearly. He was reprehensible. He embodied wickedness. I’m really sorry for these women.

It was difficult for the philanthropist to leave Bill Gates.

Although getting a divorce was a crucial step to start over, Melinda acknowledged in her book that it wasn’t easy. 

What she called “one of the hardest and most important things” she had ever done was to leave Bill. Her memoir cited a damning piece that exposed her ex-husband’s alleged adultery and his connections to Epstein.

Bill met Epstein “numerous occasions,” according to the story, and the businessman sent an email to his colleagues in 2011 after their initial encounter. “His lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing, although it would not work for me,” Bill said back in the letter.

In spite of his assertions, he allegedly continued to meet with Epstein until their 2017 disagreement over the latter’s multibillion-dollar JPMorgan Chase charity fund. Bill was asked to join the fund by the deceased sexual offender, who threatened to reveal his alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova if he didn’t.

Microsoft’s co-founder regrets his connection to Epstein

Months before Melinda spoke out against the association between Bill and Epstein, her ex-husband admitted that he felt bad about spending time with the deceased prisoner. Bill acknowledged being “foolish” for hanging out with Epstein, according to the Blast’s coverage of the incident.

Bill stated that he allied himself with Epstein in the hopes that their association would help his charitable endeavors related to global health. Regretfully, their partnership was more detrimental than beneficial, and the co-founder of Microsoft called their union “a huge mistake.”

Epstein reportedly served time for soliciting prostitution with a minor, which is when the business mogul first met him. 

At the time, people said that Bill’s marriage to Melinda was strained because of his friendship with the prisoner. “Epstein is undoubtedly a tender spot. An source claimed there was a long period for problems to fester.

The multibillionaire mogul gave some thought to his divorce.

Bill revealed his divorce from Melinda in January, so his “foolish” relationship with Epstein wasn’t his only regret. The millionaire became emotional during an interview discussing his divorce from his ex-wife, according to The Blast, before complaining about his connections to the late sex offender.

There were other mistakes, but this one stands above others, the benefactor said, calling his divorce “the mistake I regret the most in my life.” He recollected that he and Melinda had a “miserable” separation, with the pain lasting “at least two years.”

Thankfully, both of the ex-couples recovered and have since fallen in love with their new spouses. Noting that they were friendly, Bill added, “Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events.”

In his marriage to Melinda Gates, Bill Gates acknowledged that he made mistakes.

In his 2025 interview, Bill revealed details about his divorce from Melinda, which was not the first time he had done so. In 2022, he spoke with Savannah Guthrie about his part in the pair’s notorious breakup.

“I certainly made mistakes, and I take responsibility,” Bill said, acknowledging that he had harmed Melinda, though he would not elaborate. Yes, I did cause suffering, and I feel awful about it, but I don’t think it’s helpful to get into the specifics right now.”

In 1994, Bill and Melinda Gates were married, and the billionaire attributes his ability to stay “grounded” while building and expanding his billion-dollar firm to their union. Three children were born to them: a son named Rory Gates and two daughters, Jennifer Gates Nassar and Phoebe Gates.

Is Melinda Gates ever going to be able to forgive her ex-husband for breaking her trust?