Melinda French Gates announced Monday that she will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation next month. This is a major change in leadership for one of the world’s largest charities.
French Gates, who divorced her ex-husband and Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 2021, said she would spend $12.5 billion on new philanthropic efforts “for women and families,” but details of her plans were not disclosed. I didn’t.
“This is not a decision I made lightly,” she says. wrote in a statement. “I am extremely proud of the foundation that Bill and I have built together and the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequality around the world. I truly care about all the people who are touched by the Foundation’s work.”
“The time is right to move on to the next chapter of philanthropy,” she added.
The Foundation will continue under its current leadership team, headed by Bill Gates.
The announcement comes after French Gates said last year that she and her husband did not intend to donate the majority of their multibillion-dollar fortune to a foundation.
Since its founding in 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested tens of billions of dollars, primarily focused on global social welfare and health initiatives. The majority of the Foundation’s philanthropic spending goes toward fighting infectious diseases, malaria, HIV, and AIDS.
“These are critical times for women and girls in the United States and around the world,” French Gates said in a statement Monday, adding, “Those fighting to protect and advance equality need urgent support. “There is,” he said.
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