Melinda Gates Walked Away With $6.3 Billion In Stocks Following Her Divorce From Bill, But Admitted
For many, it seemed like Bill and Melinda Gates were in it for the long run. Their divorce was truly shocking, and the two sides reached a massive settlement worth billions. The separation also caused a change in the children's inheritance. It was a complicated split but one that is now in the past.
However, getting through that process was not easy, especially for Melinda Gates. She detailed what went on behind the scenes during that time period and clearly, Melinda struggled with her emotions.
We'll take a closer look at how she was able to move passed it, and how Bill and Melinda are still able to co-exist as business partners despite their separation.
Melinda Gates Got $6.3 Billion In Stocks And Sold A Quarter Of The Amount Almost Instantly
According to Forbes, Melinda Gates saw a massive payout and one that featured $6.3 billion worth of stock. By last summer, Forbes indicates that Melinda had already dumped a quarter of it, bringing in over $1 billion.
The publication writes, "After her divorce last year, Melinda French Gates walked away with at least $6.3 billion worth of stock in various companies that had been transferred to her by ex-husband Bill Gates. She’s already sold nearly a quarter of that amount. According to Forbes’ review of Securities and Exchange Commission filings, French Gates has unloaded roughly $1.44 billion worth of stock (before taxes) since December 2021."
The settlement did not soften the blow for Melinda who felt a sense of shock over the divorce. Though she did mention alongside ET that the pandemic helped her in a way, especially in terms of privacy during such a sensitive time in her life.
“But the odd thing about COVID is that it gave me the privacy to do what I needed to do.”
Melinda Gates Struggled With The Divorce At The Start, Suffering From Both Heartbreak And Anger
For Melinda Gates, it was all about taking a different path and starting fresh. Speaking alongside CBS News, Melinda revealed she could no longer go on with her previous circumstances and marriage, despite the fact that she knew the divorce would cause quite the stir worldwide.
"I needed to take a different path. And so I think, you know, we knew that when the divorce was gonna be announced that it would be a surprise to people," she said. "I felt bad about that, but I probably, I didn't have any sense of how big of news it would be. You never, you can't anticipate something like that."
As far as her emotions were concerned, Melinda felt an array of feelings from day to day, which included pure sadness, along with anger.
"Well, I think it's really important to say, look, I had a lot of tears for many days. I mean, days where I'm literally laying on the floor and the carpet, you know, this close to me, thinking, "How can this be? How can I get up? How am I gonna move forward?'" French Gates said.
"And days I certainly was angry. I mean, this is painful stuff. And at the end of the day though, I started on this journey of healing, and I feel like I'm starting to get to the other side. And I do feel like I'm turning a page in the chapter now. I mean, it's 2022 and I'm actually really excited about what's to come and life ahead for me," she said.
It was a difficult time for everyone involved, but following their settlement, the two were still able to keep things amicable, especially for the sake of their foundation.
Melinda Gates Was Able To Get Through It, And Even Worked With Bill Once They Were Divorced
Melinda's work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is ongoing, therefore keeping things amicable with her ex was necessary for the greater good. Given her commitment to the foundation, Melinda would do her best to keep things together and lead, despite the fact that she was crying just an hour before to the meeting.
“I kept working with the person I was moving away from, and I needed to show up and be my best self every single day. So even though I might be crying at 9 a.m. and then have to be on a video conference at 10 a.m. with the person I’m leaving, I have to show up and be my best,” she said.
“I learned as a leader that I could do it. It reminded me that the foundation calls me to be my best,” French Gates added.
Last year in 2022, Melinda wouldn't say that the two were friends, but she did reveal that things were amicable between both sides, particularly from a business aspect.
"Friends is a different word for me. And, you know, that might come over time. But for me, there's still healing that needs to happen. Certainly, I wish him well. I don't wish him harm. And I think we have a productive working relationship, and I think that will continue."
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