Melinda French Gates to resign from Gates Foundation: 'Not a decision I came to lightly'

Melinda French Gates is stepping down from the famous Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable institutions in the world, the organization co-founder announced on Monday.

"After careful thought and reflection I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair," Gates, the ex-wife of billionaire Bill Gates, wrote in a statement posted to multiple online platforms including her LinkedIn and Instagram pages. "This is not a decision I came to lightly."

She said her last day of work with the Seattle-based global health and development charity will be June 7.

"I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world," she wrote. "I care deeply about the foundation team, our partners around the world, and everyone who is touched by its work."

For more than 30 years, the Gates Foundation has donated $77.6 billion in charitable contributions.

Bill Gates said he expects greatness from his former wife as she transitions away from her role.

"I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work," the Microsoft co-founder wrote in a separate statement posted on X Monday. "Looking ahead, I remain fully committed to the Foundation’s work across all our strategies, and to realizing the opportunities we have to continue improving the lives of millions around the world."

In a video posted on his LinkedIn page, Mark Suzman, the foundation's CEO, said the foundation's mission remained the same: "To create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a health and productive life."

"Setting our values and leading our work, Melinda has played an essential role in all that we have accomplished over the past 24 years," he said in the video. "Her vision and influence will leave a profound and lasting legacy that we will build on going forward... To the millions of people our work serves, and thousands of partners we work alongside, you can continue to count on the foundation."

In a separate email to employees shared on the same platform, Suzman wrote: "Melinda cares deeply about the foundation and is extremely proud of all of you and the work you do every day to help millions of people live better lives... And, after a difficult few years watching women’s rights rolled back in the U.S. and around the world, she wants to use this next chapter to focus specifically on altering that trajectory."

Announcement comes on heels of divorce

The announcement comes three years after the philanthropic couple announced their split in May 2021.

After 27 years of marriage they finalized their divorced in August 2021. The former couple shares three children.

Their separation drew surprise from most across the globe.

"I think we are all surprised on some level; many of us look up to Bill and Melinda Gates, particularly in this COVID era," Leslie Barbara, an attorney in divorce and family law with Davidoff Hutcher & Citron in New York, told USA TODAY when the powerhouse couple announced their divorce on X.

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Couple initially said they would continue to work together

The same year they divorced, the Melinda Gates and Bill Gates said they would continue to work together at the foundation, started in 1994.

"No changes to their roles or the organization are planned," the foundation said in a statement at the time. "They will continue to work together to shape and approve foundation strategies, advocate for the foundation’s issues, and set the organization’s overall direction."

Gates to retain $12.5 billion for additional philanthropy regarding women and families

"This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world −and those fighting to protect and advance equality,' her statement continues.

Under terms of an agreement with her ex-husband, Gates said she would have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to her work on behalf of women and families.

"I'll be sharing more about what that will look like in the future," she wrote.

Why did Bill and Melinda Gates divorce?

In an March 2022 interview with "CBS Mornings" anchor Gayle King, Melinda Gates opened up about splitting from her ex-husband.

Not long after their divorce announcement, The Wall Street Journal reported it learned Microsoft board members decided it wasn't appropriate for Bill Gates to continue sitting on its board in 2020, while the board investigated his prior romantic relationship with a female Microsoft employee.

At the time, the outlet claimed, an unnamed spokeswoman for Gates acknowledged he had an affair almost two decades prior, and that it ended 'amicably.'

When King asked Gates about the alleged infidelity she responded:

"Well, I certainly believe in forgiveness, so I thought we had worked through some of that," she said. "It wasn't one moment or one specific thing that happened. There just came a point in time where there was enough there that I realized it just wasn't healthy, and I couldn't trust what we had."

Contributing: Mike Snider, Amy Haneline and Craig Harris

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.