Melinda French Gates has announced her decision to step down from her role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a position she has held for nearly 24 years.
She shared her plans to officially leave on June 7th and promised to unveil more details about her upcoming philanthropic ventures soon.
In her statement released on Monday, Melinda expressed deep appreciation for the foundation’s accomplishments during her and Bill Gates’ tenure. She underscored her pride in the foundation’s impactful work in addressing global inequities. Additionally, Melinda outlined her intention to focus her charitable efforts on organizations dedicated to supporting women and families.
However, as part of her separation agreement from her former husband and Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, Melinda disclosed that she will receive an additional $12.5 billion to fuel her philanthropic endeavors. She emphasized the gravity of her decision, emphasizing that it was not made lightly.
