Bill Gates Spent One Weekend A Year With Ex-Girlfriend While Married To Melinda Gates And She Approved But Says It Was The Jeffrey Epstein Ties And Affairs That Led To Their Divorce

Last year's high-profile divorce between Bill Gates and Melinda Gates made headlines, not only for being one of the most expensive divorces in history — Melinda reportedly walked away with an estimated $70 billion — but also for casting a spotlight on an unusual marital agreement. 

From the start of their marriage, Gates had Melinda's blessing to continue an annual vacation with his ex-girlfriend Ann Winblad. This arrangement is one many people would find unconventional if not unacceptable.

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Gates and Winblad initially met at a computer conference in the 1980s, and what blossomed was not just a romantic relationship but also an intellectual partnership. Before virtual dating was even a concept, they would watch movies together while in different cities, synchronizing their viewing and discussing it over the phone afterward. Winblad, an early investor in Microsoft Corp., wasn't just an emotional companion, she was a mental equal. They explored advanced subjects like bioengineering and physics, often during their vacations together.

When their romantic involvement ended in 1987 after three years of dating, primarily because of differing perspectives on marriage, the friendship remained intact. When Gates contemplated marrying Melinda, he felt it important to seek Winblad's blessing, which she willingly gave, acknowledging Melinda's "intellectual stamina."

The friendship didn't just survive Bill's marriage to Melinda — it was woven into their marriage through a unique agreement. The yearly vacations that Gates and Winblad enjoyed continued, usually at a beach cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The trips were far from ordinary getaways and included everything from dune buggy riding to in-depth discussions about the latest advances in biotechnology. Both Gates and Winblad were clear that these trips were platonic in nature, a sort of mental retreat rather than a romantic escapade.

Although Melinda allowed the vacations, it wasn't clear whether they played a role in the dissolution of their marriage. In her petition for divorce, Melinda described their marriage as "irretrievably broken," but it wasn't until a recent exclusive interview with "CBS Mornings
that she elaborated on what specifically went wrong, shedding light on other contributing factors such as Bill's relationships with other women, rumored affairs and his controversial meetings with financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in his jail cell in 2019.

Melinda spoke with host Gayle King, stating that the demise of their marriage was because of "not one thing but many things." High on that list of grievances was Bill's association with Epstein. Melinda made it clear that she was deeply uncomfortable with Bill's meetings with Epstein, saying, "I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him."

In a May 2022 interview with "Today,"  Gates provided his own perspective on the split. Acknowledging it as a "tough year," the Microsoft co-founder shouldered some of the blame for the pain caused to his family.

"The divorce is definitely a sad thing. I have responsibility for causing a lot of pain to my family, "Gates, then 66, stated. However, he also expressed a sense of optimism about the future, noting that he feels "good that all of us are moving forward now."

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