Melinda Gates will lift the lid on his divorce from billionaire Microsoft founder Bill for the first time as he sits down for an interview with CBS Mornings presenter Gail King.
The 57-year-old woman, who shocked the world when she and Bill announced in May 2021 that they were ending their 27-year marriage, was seen in a teaser trailer for the interview – which airs on March 3 – hinting that “trust was interrupted “in his relationship with the billionaire businessman.
A short trailer published on Twitter CBS Mornings sees King, 67, ask Melinda, “Once trust is broken, isn’t it hard to get it back?” To which the philanthropist replied, “It’s very, very hard to get it back in any relationship.”
The interview – the first time Melinda has spoken publicly about her breakup with Bill – comes 10 months after the former couple first revealed to the world that they are splitting, and just seven months after finalizing their 130 billion-dollar divorce deal. dollars.
Melinda Gates is ready to talk about her divorce from billionaire, Microsoft founder Bill for the first time in an interview with CBS Mornings, which is scheduled to air on Thursday
In a teaser trailer for the interview, the 57-year-old philanthropist (pictured with her ex-husband in April 2021) is seen hinting that “trust has been broken” in their 27-year marriage.
Bill and Melinda, 66 (seen on their wedding day in 1994) shocked the world when they announced in May 2021 that they were divorcing
However, while Bill and Melinda remained silent about what led to their separation, just weeks after their announcement, the Microsoft founder was shaken by several allegations that he had behaved inappropriately toward employees of the technology company.
In May 2021, numerous reports surfaced alleging that the billionaire had pursued extramarital affairs with women working at Microsoft; that same month, Bill’s spokesman confirmed that he had an affair with a female staff member in 2000 while he was married to Melinda.
He was the company’s chief executive at the time. It is not clear what position or level of experience the employee had.
The affair remained a secret until 2019, when the employee wrote a letter to the board detailing what happened and allegedly asked Melinda to read it.
The company has launched an investigation into the claims.
While the investigation was still ongoing in March 2020, Bill shocked the business world by announcing his resignation from his position on the company’s board.
That same day, Bill retired aboard the Berkshire Hathaway, run by his friend Warren Buffett.
Then, in June last year, he announced his resignation from the Gates Foundation, which he and Melinda co-founded, in which she continues to play an active role as co-chair of the board.
Although Bill never spoke publicly about the separation, he reportedly told attendees at the Sun Valley conference in Idaho in July that the divorce was “his fault.”
Melinda French Gates tells @GayleKing it is possible to regain trust in a relationship, “but it is very difficult to regain it in any relationship.”
She talks about the fight for gender equality – as well as her divorce, in our exclusive interview on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/yV1Xn6Td4z
– CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 2, 2022
The former couple, who share three children (pictured), have not spoken publicly about the separation, but Bill is reportedly accused of an unrecorded question-and-answer session in July.
After her divorce was finalized, Melinda (seen without her wedding ring for the first time in June 2021) threw herself into the fight for gender equality.
While attending the so-called “summer camp for billionaires”, the founder of Microsoft revealed the impending divorce of the couple in an “unrecorded” session with questions and answers, according to the New York Post.
During the session, the weeping Bill admitted that the breakup of the marriage was his fault.
“He admitted that he was wrong,” one of those present told the Post. – He actually referred to the fact that it [the divorce] it was his fault.
The source added: “He really seemed a little emotional about it. He may have been on the verge of tears.
However, in the seven months since their divorce was finalized, the former couple have been friendly, meeting in October last year to host the wedding of their eldest child, Jennifer, who married Egyptian horseman Nayel Nasar in a lavish ceremony at her 142-acre mansion in North Salem, New York.
Melinda also threw herself into the fight for gender equality, promising in June 2021 that the Gates Foundation would spend $ 2.1 billion on the cause over five years, one of the organization’s biggest commitments in more than two years. decades.
The philanthropist’s promise seems to send a clear message about her separation from her ex-husband; Melinda has long insisted that gender equality be a key priority for the Seattle-based foundation, while Bill has instead prioritized polio eradication and vaccine development.
Melinda is ready to talk about her fight for gender equality during her interview with CBS Mornings, the network revealed on Twitter – with a press release also revealing that the mother of three will participate in “a new current series on Women’s History Place entitled “Change the game.”
“CBS News correspondent Jamie Yukas and French Gates will speak with three women titans in their world-changing industries: director Ava Duvernay, groundbreaking scientist Dr. Kizmekia Corbett and labor activist IGN Poo,” the statement said.