Melinda Gates, born Melinda Ann French on August 15, 1964, in Dallas, Texas, is an American philanthropist, businesswoman, and author. She is best known as the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's largest private charitable foundations.
Gates attended Duke University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and economics in 1986. She then went on to complete her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Duke's Fuqua School of Business in 1987.
After graduating, Gates began her career at Microsoft Corporation in 1987, where she worked as a product manager for several years. It was at Microsoft where she met Bill Gates, the company's co-founder and her future husband. They married in 1994 and have three children together.
In 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the mission to enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, and expand access to education and information technology around the world. The foundation has since become one of the most influential philanthropic organizations globally, with an endowment of over $50 billion.
As co-chair of the foundation, Melinda Gates plays a key role in shaping its strategies and initiatives. She has been particularly active in promoting women's and girls' empowerment, advocating for access to family planning and maternal health services, and supporting education reform.
Gates is also an author, having published her debut book, "The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World," in 2019. The book explores her personal journey and experiences working to empower women and girls globally.
Throughout her career, Melinda Gates has received numerous honors and awards for her philanthropic work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, awarded to her and Bill Gates in 2016.