Melinda French Gates Reveals An IBM Manager Inspired Her To Join Bill Gates Co-Founded 'Little Company' Microsoft

Melinda French Gates credited a conversation with an IBM hiring manager for her decision to join Microsoft, a choice that significantly impacted her career and personal life.

What Happened: French Gates narrated her career-defining story to LinkedIn News. After two successful summer internships, she had a job offer from IBM on the table. However, a crucial conversation with her hiring manager led her to contemplate a different path, reported Business Insider. “This little company, Microsoft. It was tiny,” she remembered saying. The manager’s response was, “If they give you an offer, you should take it.”

French Gates heeded the advice and joined Microsoft as a product manager in 1987, post her graduation from Duke University’s business school. She spent nearly ten years at Microsoft, rising to the designation of general manager and managing the company’s information products. She also met her ex-husband, Bill Gates, during this period in Microsoft.

After leaving Microsoft in 1996, French Gates co-founded the Gates Foundation with Bill Gates in 2000. She stepped away from the foundation in May and currently dedicates her efforts to Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company she founded in 2015.

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Why It Matters: While at Microsoft, French Gates can be credited for developing multimedia products like Microsoft Cinemania, Word, Publisher and Expedia.com. Her career trajectory is also marked by significant contributions to philanthropy. In 2024, she announced a $250 million fund to enhance women’s health, highlighting her primary focus post her tenure at the foundation.

Moreover, Warren Buffett, who was a trustee of the Gates Foundation, has expressed his admiration for French Gates. Buffett praised her vision, stating, “In terms of seeing the whole picture, she’s smarter.” He also referred to her as a “longtime friend.”

• READ MORE: This Bill Gates ‘Mistake’ Cost Microsoft A $400 Billion Opportunity, According To Android Co-Founder: ‘Sorry, Bill’

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.