Melinda reveals one of the reasons of her divorce with Bill Gates

Speaking publicly for the first time since the high-profile split, Melinda Gates told CBS that although “many things” contributed to her separation from the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, she “did not like that he’d had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no”.

Announcing their divorce, Bill and Melinda gave no explanation for their separation beyond a joint statement shared on Twitter that said “we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives”. But a former employee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told The Wall Street Journal that Melinda’s “concerns about the relationship” between her husband and Epstein “date as far back as 2013”.

Speaking to CBS, Melinda said that the relationship between her husband and the financier had been a factor in her divorce, and that she had “made it very clear” she was deeply uncomfortable with the relationship.

According to The Daily Beast, Melinda was present for a meeting between her husband and Epstein at the latter’s Upper East Side mansion in September of that year, and afterwards told friends that “she was furious at the relationship between the two men”. 

Melinda described “how uncomfortable she was in the company of the wealthy sex offender”, the site said, and “told friends she wanted nothing to do with him”. Sources close to the couple told the site that “Gates’ friendship with Epstein – who for years was accused of molesting scores of underage girls – still haunts Melinda”.