Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates participates in a panel discussion during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings April 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.<span class="image-caption-credit"> (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)</span>
Melinda Gates Memoir Reveals Divorce Details and “Disturbing” Bill Gates-Jeffrey Epstein Connection
Table of Contents
Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates participates in a panel discussion during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in April 2017. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Introduction to Melinda Gates’ New Memoir
Melinda Gates has released her highly anticipated memoir titled “The Next Day,” offering readers unprecedented insight into her life, philanthropic work, and the end of her 27-year marriage to Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates. While the book covers many aspects of her journey, it’s her candid revelations about their divorce and Bill’s connections to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein that have captured public attention.
The memoir, which hit bookstores on Tuesday, represents Melinda’s first comprehensive account of the events leading to what she describes as “one of the hardest and most important things I’ve ever done” – leaving her marriage to one of the world’s wealthiest and most influential men. Though the Gates divorce isn’t the central focus of the book, her revelations provide a window into the dissolution of one of the business world’s most prominent partnerships.
While the memoir covers Melinda’s philanthropic work and personal journey, the sections detailing the breakdown of her marriage to Bill Gates have generated significant interest, particularly her frank assessment of how his association with Jeffrey Epstein violated her personal values.
The Breakdown of the Gates Marriage
According to Melinda, 2019 marked a critical turning point in her marriage to Bill Gates. While the couple had faced challenges before, she identifies this period as when their relationship began to fundamentally deteriorate. The catalyst, as she reveals in her memoir, was an October 2019 New York Times article that raised troubling questions about her husband’s conduct.
“That October, things had reached a fever pitch when The New York Times published a deeply disturbing article that raised serious questions about Bill’s conduct — questions that suggested he had betrayed not only our marriage but also my values.”
— Melinda Gates, “The Next Day”
According to reporting by Page Six, the article Melinda references contained information regarding Bill Gates’ alleged affairs and his meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, which occurred after Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes. These revelations apparently forced Melinda to confront uncomfortable truths about her marriage and her husband’s judgment.
Bill and Melinda Gates introduce the Goalkeepers event at Lincoln Center in September 2018, approximately a year before their marriage began to unravel. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Jeffrey Epstein Connection
The Jeffrey Epstein connection appears to have been a significant factor in the deterioration of the Gates’ marriage. Melinda had previously expressed her disapproval of Bill’s association with the convicted sex offender in a 2022 interview, but her memoir provides additional context to her feelings on the matter.
The association between Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein has been a point of public interest since it was first reported. According to various sources, Bill met with Epstein multiple times between 2011 and 2014, years after Epstein had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
In her earlier interview, Melinda was direct about her feelings regarding these meetings: “I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him.” She also revealed that she met Epstein once herself, but immediately regretted the decision.
“I regretted it the second I walked in the door. He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women.”
— Melinda Gates on meeting Jeffrey Epstein
According to reports, Epstein allegedly threatened to expose an affair between Bill Gates and Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017 after Gates declined to participate in a charitable fund Epstein was establishing with JPMorgan Chase. While this information isn’t directly addressed in Melinda’s memoir excerpts, it adds context to the complex web of relationships that may have contributed to the marriage’s end.
Bill Gates reportedly meets with Jeffrey Epstein multiple times during this period, after Epstein’s 2008 conviction
According to reports, Epstein threatens to expose Bill Gates’ alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova
The New York Times publishes an article about Bill’s conduct that Melinda describes as “deeply disturbing”
Bill and Melinda Gates announce their divorce after 27 years of marriage
Melinda releases her memoir “The Next Day,” providing her perspective on the divorce
Bill Gates’ Response and Regrets
Bill Gates has also addressed his association with Jeffrey Epstein, albeit more briefly and typically in the context of promoting his own memoir, Source Code. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, he expressed regret over his meetings with Epstein.
“In retrospect, I was foolish to spend any time with him. I think I was quite stupid. I thought it would help me with global health philanthropy. In fact, it failed to do that. It was just a huge mistake.”
— Bill Gates to the Wall Street Journal
While Bill’s public statements have acknowledged poor judgment in meeting with Epstein, they’ve generally focused on the philanthropic context of those meetings rather than addressing any deeper connections or the impact these associations had on his marriage.
Melinda and Bill Gates at the Lasker Awards in September 2013, where they received the Public Service Award. Their professional partnership through the Gates Foundation has continued despite their divorce. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for The Lasker Foundation)
Moving Forward: A New Chapter for Both
Since finalizing their divorce in 2021, both Bill and Melinda Gates have moved forward with their personal lives while maintaining their professional collaboration through the Gates Foundation. According to Melinda’s memoir and recent public appearances, this transition, while difficult, has allowed both to enter new chapters in their lives.
Despite their personal separation, Bill and Melinda have continued their philanthropic partnership through the Gates Foundation, demonstrating their shared commitment to global health and development initiatives. This professional collaboration represents an important example of how former couples can continue working together toward shared goals.
Both have also begun new romantic relationships. Melinda has been seeing entrepreneur Philip Vaughn, while Bill has been linked to philanthropist Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd. Sources close to the former couple indicate that they’ve been able to maintain an amicable co-parenting relationship for their three children: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe.
In her memoir, Melinda acknowledges that leaving her marriage was an extraordinarily difficult decision, but one that she felt was necessary for her wellbeing and future. “It was one of the hardest and most important things I’ve ever done,” she writes, suggesting that while the divorce was painful, it represented a necessary step in her personal journey.
Melinda Gates’ memoir “The Next Day” was released on Tuesday, April 16, 2025, and is available at major bookstores and online retailers. The book covers not only her marriage and divorce but also her extensive philanthropic work and vision for the future.
As both Bill and Melinda continue their separate personal journeys while maintaining their shared philanthropic vision, “The Next Day” offers readers a candid glimpse into how one of the world’s most prominent couples navigated the end of their marriage amid complex personal and professional circumstances.
For Melinda Gates, the memoir appears to represent both a reflection on her past and a statement about her future—one that continues to be defined by her commitment to philanthropic causes and her determination to forge her own path forward.
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