Inside Bill Gates' 'Difficult' Life After His Divorce

Bill and Melinda Gates made up one of the world's most powerful couples for 34 years. The two met at Microsoft in the late 1980s, after Melinda was hired fresh off Duke University, where she earned a degree in computer science and economics, according to The Independent. Melinda rose quickly, going from software marketing to general manager of information products, the report detailed. On January 1, 1994, Bill and Melinda rang in the new year by tying the knot in Hawaii, where Bill surprised his bride by hiring her favorite artist to perform: Willie Nelson, Wired pointed out.

Six years after marrying, they launched the wildly successful Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has become a major source of funding for global health causes. The foundation is the largest private donor to the World Health Organization and the second largest overall, behind only the United States, according to a May BBC report. Thanks to their entrepreneurship, Bill and Melinda amassed a fortune worth more than $130 billion, as Insider noted.

Sitting atop their tech and philanthropic castle, Bill and Melinda seemed untouchable. That's why Bill and Melinda caused a stir when they announced their divorce in May. On Twitter, Bill shared that he and Melinda would continue to work on the foundation together as co-chairs. "We continue to share a belief in that mission ... but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple," he said. Now, Bill is opening up about the rough months that followed.

Most of us can't relate to many aspects of Bill Gates' life, but most of us agree that 2021 has been tough. "Like many people, there were entire days this year when the only human interaction I had was through a screen. The result has been the most unusual and difficult year of my life. (I suspect a lot of the people reading this might say the same)," Bill wrote on the Gates Notes, his personal blog, on December 7. 

While he didn't dedicate a lot of space to discussing his divorce from Melinda Gates, he addressed it — and hinted at his state of mind. "Melinda and I continue to run our foundation together and have found a good new working rhythm, but I can't deny that it's been a year of great personal sadness for me," he penned. Bill and Melinda's divorce was finalized in August, though the details of their agreement hasn't been made public, as CNN reported. Bill also announced in July that he could remove Melinda from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in two years, if they fail to find a way to work together, according to The New York Times.

But despite it all, Bill noted he also experienced joy in 2021, including his oldest daughter Jennifer's wedding and her youngest Phoebe's high school graduation. "Since my son Rory is also away at school, that means I'm officially an empty nester," Bill pointed out.