Melinda Gates, as you might guess, is related to one of the richest people on the planet, Bill Gates. Or rather, is his wife. He is also an entrepreneur and a leading philanthropist in the world.
Biography
Melinda Ann Gates (before marriage French) was born on August 15, 1964 in Dallas, Texas, USA. Her father, Raymond Joseph French, Jr., was an aerospace engineer. He also ran a property rental business. Her mother Elaine Agnes Amerland was a housewife with a strong focus on education and parenting.
In addition to Melinda, the family had three more children: a daughter and two sons. The girl received her primary education at the private school of St. Monica, which was Catholic. Even then, Melinda stood out among her peers for her outstanding mental abilities and was one of the best students in the class. The girl showed particular interest in studying mathematics and computers. She received her BA from Duke University in 1986. A year later, she became a master of economics at the Fukua School of Business. As a young qualified professional, Melinda realized herself in the professional field, having managed to build a career at Microsoft.
Career
After graduating from college in 1987, Melinda joined Microsoft, the world's largest software company. She became part of the team behind the creation and development of projects such as Microsoft Bob, Expedia, Encarta and Publisher. Her hard work and extraordinary mental abilities allowed her to "grow" from the position of a sales manager to the general director of product information management during her nine years at the corporation.
After getting married, Melinda served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Duke University for seven years. She serves on the board of directors of the Washington Post and is an active participant in the Bilderberg Group conferences to promote dialogue between Europe and North America. Melinda also served on the board of directors of Drugstore.com until it was acquired by Walgreens, the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States.
She co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was founded in 1994 and was originally called the William H. Gates Foundation. Then restructured and renamed in 2000, its goal is to improve global health and eradicate extreme poverty. Melinda Gates has also focused on expanding educational opportunities and providing access to information technology in the United States. This was mainly to be done via the Internet, the availability of which was planned in all public libraries.
In 2006, she led a $ 300 million fundraising campaign to expand the facilities of the Children's Hospital in Seattle. She also promised to provide significant financial assistance to increase the availability of contraception for women living in poorer countries. In recent years, Melinda Gates has raised the issue of providing women with the opportunity to work, in addition to home and children.
In 1987, already an employee of Microsoft, Melinda met Bill Gates at the PC Show in Manhattan. She was very surprised when her boss approached her with an offer to have dinner in a couple of weeks. Melinda appreciated her sense of humor and only then realized that the intense pace of Billy Gates's life forced him to plan his actions in advance. The couple was in a relationship for six years before deciding to legitimize them. After their engagement, Melinda and Bill embarked on a journey through Africa, where they first encountered the incredible poverty of the local population. Subsequently, it was this trip that became the impetus for the creation of the "Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation".
In 1994, a wedding ceremony took place, for which Lanai Island in Hawaii was selected. To shield his family and guests from unnecessary press attention, Bill Gates ordered the reservation of all hotels, helicopters and airplanes on the nearby island. The amount spent on organizing the celebration was one million dollars. According to Melinda, it took her a while to adapt to the role of the wife of one of the richest people on the planet.
After the birth of her daughter Jennifer Gates in 1996, Melinda quit her job to devote more time to raising children. In 1999, Rory's son John Gates was born. And three years later, the youngest daughter Phoebe Gates (2002). Her ability to be delicate, restrained fits perfectly into a new occupation, to which she devotes a lot of time. Melinda is one of the world's leading philanthropists, supporting women and children in third world countries.
In raising their own children, Melinda and Bill Gates adhere to Catholic traditions, trying to protect them from unnecessary luxury and spending as much time together as possible. In an interview, the couple stated that each of the heirs will receive $ 10 million from the family's fortune, amounting to more than $ 90 billion. The rest of the funds will be directed to charitable purposes. However, the family does not skimp on the education and hobbies of children, supporting their interests. They live on their own estate near Lake Washington near Seattle. The couple of Melinda and Bill Gates is an example of a happy marriage that has lasted for over 20 years and a successful professional collaboration.
