The Women of Bill Gates Throughout The Years

These days the world is buzzing about Bill Gates’s divorce. Most people only know Melinda Gates as his wife as the pair was together for almost three decades. They were a power couple for so long that rarely anyone remembers other women who marked his life before Melinda. Bill met Melinda back in 1987, but there are those familiar with his life before their marriage. There are at least two women known as his romantic partners, and in this article, we are going to share a tidbit about them. Let’s get started with the introduction of one Jill Bennett.

Jill Bennett

Bill met Jill in the early 80s, as the two shared a few common interests including computers, tennis, and a couple of friends. It all started in 1083 near Seattle’s Madison Park. Bill and Jill had a lot in common which is something they loved to point out. Interestingly they were born in the same hospital, the same year, with only one day set them apart. There were even physical similarities between the two.

But, the romance wasn’t long-lasting as Bennett wasn’t used to his lifestyle that revolved around his work. Talking about the reasons for their separation she said that he often came home too tired to function. It was the path he chooses, and that set him on the course of becoming a billionaire, but not an option that was acceptable for a young woman. Even after their breakup, the pair remained close and nurtured a friendship.

Unfortunately, she died of breast cancer in 2004, after years of trying to find the cure for that disease. Talking about his ex after her death Gates said: “She was a remarkable human being — gifted, dedicated, and full of life. She fought her cancer as bravely as anyone I’ve ever known. She never gave in — she found strength in bringing attention to the issue and inspiring people to work toward a cure.”

Ann Winblad

You gotta give it to Bill. He manages to remain on good terms with his ex-girlfriends even after moving on and finding another romantic interest. With Ann, it all started in 1984, when the pair started dating. At first, they kept their dates in the virtual world. According to Times magazine, the pair would watch the same movies at the same time, which later prompted a discussion about them. But, after years of dating, in 1987 they called it quits, and as we said remained close friends.

Talking about Bill, and their relationship Amanda said: “We share our thoughts about the world and ourselves. And we marvel about how, as two young overachievers, we began a great adventure on the fringes of a little-known industry and it landed us at the center of an amazing universe. We can play putt-putt while discussing biotechnology.” Their relationship continued even after Bill married Melinda, as she gave her blessings for it to continue due to their stance on the world.

Melinda French Gates

Melinda and Bill met in 1987 in New York. It wasn’t a romantic story for the ages from the start as most would assume. It started slowly, as Melinda was dating other people at the time, and Bill was preoccupied with Microsoft. But, once she started working at his company they had a chance to get closer. As time passed they realized that emotions are floating between them. The most interesting part is that Bill talked about Melinda with his ex-girlfriend Amanda, to make sure that she’s the right choice for settling down.

Upon concluding that she’s the one, they got married in 1994 in Hawaii, and their marriage was crowned with three children. While everything looked perfect the pair split after twenty-seven years of marriage stating that it is no longer possible to remain together and that they “no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”One of the reasons was apparently the affair that Gates had with one of his employees at Microsoft. The divorce is already finalized, and the pair is in the process of sharing their assets.