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Tuesday 13 February 2018

Inside the marriage of Bill and Melinda Gates, who met at work, live in a $124 million home, and will leave their children only a small fraction of their fortune


 
Áine Cain
 
 
4h
 
 
Bill and Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates didn't think her future husband was "spontaneous" enough at first.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Melinda French was less than impressed when her boss asked her out on a 
date.
It was 1987, and the recent Duke graduate had just joined Microsoft as a 
product manager. CEO Bill Gates approached her at a company picnic 
and asked if she'd be interested in grabbing dinner in two weeks.
 She responded, "That's not spontaneous enough for me," Fortune 
Fast-forward three decades, and Bill and Melinda Gates are married with 
three kids, worth $90 billion, and run a namesake philanthropic enterprise 
Here's a look at their 23-year marriage.
View As: One Page Slides

At the picnic, Melinda gave Bill her number and told him 

to call her closer to the day he had in mind.

At the picnic, Melinda gave Bill her number and told him to call her closer to the day he had in mind.Stevan Morgain/AP Images

Instead, he called her up later that night with a wry

 question: "Is this spontaneous enough for you?" 

Turns out, it was.

Instead, he called her up later that night with a wry question: Lennox McLendon/File/AP Images

Melinda and Bill dated for seven years before they wed. 

Melinda told Fortune her mom didn't think that seeing the 

CEO was a good idea in the beginning.

Melinda and Bill dated for seven years before they wed. Melinda told Fortune her mom didn't think that seeing the CEO was a good idea in the beginning.Douglas C. Pizac/File/AP Images

But the couple didn't listen. Business Insider's Tanza 

Loudenback reported they "kept a low profile at work

 and asked colleagues and family members to respect 

their privacy."

But the couple didn't listen. Business Insider's Tanza Loudenback reported they Tran Van Minh/AP Images

"When I look back, Bill was the same kind of guy I 

was hanging out with in college," Melinda told Fortune.

 "I had a lot of respect for them, and they had respect 

for me."

Andy Rogers/AP Images

"I was definitely attracted to his brilliant mind, but beyond 

that, his curiosity," she told Fortune. "And he has a huge

 sense of fun. I love that wry side of him."

Elaine Thompson/AP Images

After they were engaged, Bill and Melinda traveled to 

Africa in late 1993. During the trip, they encountered

 people in extreme poverty. On a walk on a beach in 

Zanzibar, Melinda told TED in an interview, the couple 

"started to talk about" how they might use their fortune

 to help others.

After they were engaged, Bill and Melinda traveled to Africa in late 1993. During the trip, they encountered people in extreme poverty. On a walk on a beach in Zanzibar, Melinda told TED in an interview, the couple Manny Ceneta / Stringer / Getty Images
Source: TED, Business Insider

The couple married in 1994 in what was then Manele Bay 

Hotel in Hawaii. They tied the knot by the "par-3 12th hole" 

on the property's golf course, according to Forbes. 

The event reportedly cost $1 million.

The couple married in 1994 in what was then Manele Bay Hotel in Hawaii. They tied the knot by the Dave Weaver/AP Images

To keep the wedding private, Bill booked all the rooms in 

the hotel, along with all of the helicopters on the island of

 Maui to "prevent unwanted visitors from flying over,"

 Forbes reported.

To keep the wedding private, Bill booked all the rooms in the hotel, along with all of the helicopters on the island of Maui to Dave Weaver/AP Images

The next year, the couple's lavish home — nicknamed 

"Xanadu 2.0" — was completed in Medina, Washington. 

The mansion's estimated worth was $124 million in 2016.

The next year, the couple's lavish home — nicknamed Dan Callister / Getty Images

The couple has raised two daughters and a son — 

and didn't let any of them own a cellphone until they 

were 14, according to The Mirror.

The couple has raised two daughters and a son — and didn't let any of them own a cellphone until they were 14, according to The Mirror.Elaine Thompson/AP Images

Bill told Rolling Stone the children were raised Catholic. 

"We've raised our kids in a religious way," he said. 

"They've gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes

 to and I participate in."

Bill told Rolling Stone the children were raised Catholic. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Source: Rolling Stone

Bill and Melinda would read books from a range of genres to their kids as they grew up, from "Guess How Much I Love You" to "Fahrenheit 451."

Bill and Melinda would read books from a range of genres to their kids as they grew up, from Nati Harnik/AP Images

Each of the Gates' kids will inherit about $10 million of 

their parents' $89.6 billion fortune, while much of the rest 

will go to charitable causes. "We want to strike a balance 

where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot 

of money showered on them so they could go out and do 

nothing," Bill told TED.

Each of the Gates' kids will inherit about $10 million of their parents' $89.6 billion fortune, while much of the rest will go to charitable causes. Mark J. Terrill/AP Images

Melinda has said her relationship with her husband has 

changed over time. "We've had to change to really be 

coequals," she said. "It's not something that immediately 

happens overnight, but we're both committed to it."

Melinda has said her relationship with her husband has changed over time. Gazi Sarwar/AP Images

Warren Buffett, who is close with the Gates, told Fortune

 that Bill was "smart as hell, obviously," but that "in terms

 of seeing the whole picture," Melinda was smarter.

Warren Buffett, who is close with the Gates, told Fortune that Bill was Seth Wenig/AP Images

According to Melinda, Bill was used to being in charge 

from his Microsoft days when they first started the

 foundation.

According to Melinda, Bill was used to being in charge from his Microsoft days when they first started the foundation.
Melinda and Bill Gates.
 The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation/YouTube
Source: Gates Notes

But these days, Bill and Melinda work as partners at 

the foundation. They both received Presidential Medals

 of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama for 

their efforts.

But these days, Bill and Melinda work as partners at the foundation. They both received Presidential Medals of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama for their efforts.Kamil Zihnioglu, Pool/AP Images

"Our occasional disagreements these days are over 

tactics. Because I've been a public figure longer, and

 because I’m a man, some people assume I am making 

the big decisions. That's never been the case," Bill wrote 

in the Gates Foundation's annual letter for 2018.

TED/James Duncan Davidson
Source: Gates Notes

"Melinda and I believe that everyone deserves the chance

 for a healthy and productive life — and so with the help 

of our amazing partners, we are working to find innovative 

ways to help people in need all over the world," Bill

 wrote during one of his Reddit AMAs.

Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Source: Reddit
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