Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation

Melinda French Gates, former wife of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, has vowed to spread the a vast portion of her wealth among “philanthropic endeavors, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Gates just recently published her first individual Giving Pledge Letter, in which she made it official that she would no longer be pledging the bulk of her wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to Ms. French Gates:

I recognize the absurdity of so much wealth being concentrated in the hands of one person, and I believe the only responsible thing to do with a fortune this size is give it away—as thoughtfully and impactfully as possible. . .

Melinda French Gates has been open about her intention to spread her wealth and is known for her acts of philanthropic generosity. Although Ms. French Gates has been committed to her role with the Gates Foundation and Pivotal Ventures, she has also stated that she will “continue to seek out new partners, ideas, and perspectives.” 

See Emily Glazer, Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation, The Wall Street Journal, February 2, 2022. 

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.