United StatesThrough marriage
Melinda French Gates
Melinda French Gates is a former Microsoft manager and co-founder of the Gates Foundation; her fortune comes mainly from assets transferred to her in 2021 after her divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
- Forbes estimate
- $34.3B
- Forbes, 9 Oct 2026
- Forbes rank
- No. 67
- 9 Oct 2026
- Main company
- Microsoft
- Net worth, Bloomberg
- $17.4B
- Bloomberg, 12 Oct 2026
- Born
- 15 Aug 1964
- Dallas, Texas, United States
- Education
- Graduate degree
- BS in computer science and economics (1986) and MBA (1987), Duke University
- Giving Pledge
- Signed in 2010
Where the fortune sits
Assets transferred from Cascade Investment after her 2021 divorce
Microsoft
software and cloud
Not disclosed; Bloomberg says her public holdings have been below reporting thresholds for years
None; former general manager of information products
Where Melinda stands among 73
Everyone on the site, grouped by their answer. Melinda French Gates is outlined.
How the fortune started
Through marriage
Through marriage 5
Founded it 42
Inherited and grew it 12
Built it up 8
Inherited it 6
Industry
Technology
Technology 24
Finance 10
Several industries 9
Metals and mining 6
Retail 4
Fashion and beauty 4
Media 3
Food and drink 3
Shipping 3
Crypto 2
Oil, gas and chemicals 2
Healthcare 1
Casinos and resorts 1
Property and sports 1
Giving Pledge
Signed
Signed 11
Not a signer 61
Not stated 1
Education
Graduate degree
Graduate degree 24
Bachelor's degree 27
Left university without a degree 6
No university 5
Not stated 11
Role today
No role
No role 4
Runs the company 32
Chair, board or owner 25
Founder, no executive role 8
Retired 4
The person
- Born
- 15 Aug 1964Dallas, Texas, United States
- Citizenship
- United States
- Lives in
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- Education
- Graduate degreeBS in computer science and economics (1986) and MBA (1987), Duke University
- Parents
- Not stated
What they give
- Giving Pledge
- Signed in 2010Co-founded the Giving Pledge
- Foundation
- Pivotal Philanthropies FoundationPrivate foundation she formed in 2022 within Pivotal; she co-chaired the Gates Foundation from 2000 to 2024
- Lifetime giving
- $52.6BForbes, 9 Feb 2026. Forbes' estimate of what Bill and Melinda Gates have given away together; Forbes publishes no figure for her alone
Role and record
- Role now
- No roleHeads Pivotal, the organization she formed in 2015
- Successor
- Not stated
- Public office
- None found
- Legal record
- None found
