Melinda French Gates is resigning as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she co-founded over 20 years ago.
In a statement posted to X at noon ET on Monday, Gates announced her resignation and said that her last day of work will be June 7.
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) May 13, 2024
“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” French Gates wrote.
At the end of the statement, Gates added that she “will have an additional $12.5 billion” to commit to her philanthropic work under the terms of an agreement with her ex-husband Bill Gates.
“I’ll be sharing more about what that [work] will look like in the near future,” French Gates said in her statement.
Melinda French Gates. Photo by Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images
In response, Bill Gates posted on X that he was “sorry to see Melinda leave.”
I want to thank Melinda for her critical contributions to the Foundation from its very beginning. As a co-founder and co-chair Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality.
Looking ahead, I… https://t.co/ZEU4D2q76v
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 13, 2024
After the former couple divorced in 2021, the Gates Foundation created a two-year backup plan in case the duo faced difficulty working together. The deal meant that Melinda Gates could choose to resign after two years.
The Gates Foundation was established in 2000 by the former couple.
