Bill Gates admitted to “causing a lot of pain to my family” exactly one year after he and Melinda French Gates announced they were divorcing following 27 years of marriage.
The Microsoft co-founder acknowledged during a “Today” show appearance Tuesday that it’s been a “tough year” but feels everyone in his family is “moving forward.”
When asked about speculation that he cheated on Melinda, the billionaire didn’t go into specifics.
“I certainly made mistakes, and I take responsibility,” Gates told host Savannah Guthrie. “I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes, I caused pain and I feel terrible about that.”
Gates and French Gates announced their split on May 3, 2021, and finalized their divorce last August.
Last May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Gates stepped down from the Microsoft board amid an investigation into an alleged relationship he had with a female employee. A representative for Gates told the newspaper at the time, “There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably.”
French Gates, 57, was asked about the cheating rumors during an interview with CBS Mornings in March and said, “those are questions Bill needs to answer.”
Bill Gates, 66, said Tuesday that it’s been “a complete change” no longer being married to his longtime wife.
“This was a very tough thing,” Gates said Tuesday. “We had a lot of amazing things in our marriage — the kids, the foundation, the enjoyment we had — so it’s a very hard adjustment.”
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