Bill and Melinda Gates Agreed 'It's Not Fair We Have So Much Wealth' — And Say Their Money Opens Doors Most People Will Never Get Through

Before their 2021 divorce, Bill and Melinda Gates were one of the most powerful philanthropic duos in the world. But in 2018, they hit pause to publicly answer the tough stuff — questions they said people actually asked them. One in particular cut deep:

"Is it fair that you have so much influence?"

Melinda didn't hedge, writing in the GatesNotes Blog: "No. It's not fair that we have so much wealth when billions of others have so little. And it's not fair that our wealth opens doors that are closed to most people."

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That wasn't a soundbite. It was part of a longer, pointed response about power, access, and privilege. "World leaders tend to take our phone calls," she wrote. "Cash-strapped school districts are more likely to divert money and talent toward ideas they think we will fund."

And Bill didn't dodge the elephant in the room either:

"If we think it's unfair that we have so much wealth, why don't we give it all to the government?"

His answer? Foundations can take risks governments can't. They can think globally, play the long game, and test bold ideas without waiting for votes or budgets. "We're like an incubator," he explained. "We aim to improve the quality of the ideas that go into public policies and steer funding toward those that have the most impact."

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But just because they had answers didn't mean they were ignoring the optics. They admitted the imbalance. They didn't pretend the system was just.

"We use whatever influence we have," Melinda said, "to help as many people as possible and to advance equity around the world."

The letter, released three years before their separation, also gave rare insight into their working relationship — something Melinda said often came with imbalance too.

"There were times I felt that disparity—in meetings when I was reticent and he was voluble, or when the person we were meeting with looked toward Bill and not me," she said.

They worked at it. Gave each other feedback. Learned when to pull back and when to push forward. And while Melinda focused more on gender equity, Bill leaned into science and systems. Still, Bill made one thing clear: their decisions were shared.

"Because I've been a public figure longer, and because I'm a man, some people assume I am making the big decisions. That's never been the case."

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In their letter, they weren't defending wealth. They were admitting its outsized power — and trying to explain how they use it. Melinda called it "a basic responsibility" for people with money to give it back. Bill added, "Once you've taken care of yourself and your children, the best use of extra wealth is to give it back to society."

The Gates Foundation, still the largest private foundation in the world, continued to carry both of their names even after their divorce. For a while, they remained co-chairs — but in 2024, Melinda announced she would step down. 

While she left the foundation's leadership, she didn't leave philanthropy. As part of the transition, she received $12.5 billion to pursue her own charitable work, with a focus on women and families through her organization, Pivotal Ventures.

In a world that still questions the role of billionaire influence, their 2018 words haven't aged out: "It's not fair," Melinda wrote."But we're trying to make it count."

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