Bill Gates told friends he was in a 'loveless' marriage: report
Melinda's concerns over Bill's connection to Jeffrey Epstein are reportedly a reason for the split
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Bill Gates opened up about his marital strife to a group of his friends.
According to a report from the New York Post, the tech pioneer allegedly told his golf buddies that his marriage to Melinda Gates was "loveless" long before their divorce announcement.
"Bill did talk to his close friends on the golf course," a source told the outlet. "He told them a while back that the marriage was loveless, that it had been over for some time and they were living separate lives."
A source told Fox Business, however, that describing the marriage as "loveless" is "completely inaccurate from the perspective of" Gates.
Golf has long been an important part of Gates' life. In fact, he and Melinda married on the Manele Bay Hotel golf course in Hawaii in 1994.
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Gates, 65, has even reportedly been hitting the links since the big announcement.
Bill Gates reportedly told his golf buddies that his marriage to Melinda Gates was ‘loveless.’ (Photo by Frederic Stevens/Getty Images)
The news of their divorce came as a surprise to many and has reportedly been tough on Melinda, 56, due to her Roman Catholic faith.
"She wants to get an annulment from the Vatican following the civil divorce, I’m told," a source who worked with Melinda told the Post.
Another insider, however, said that the split came as "no surprise" considering Bill's connection to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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"… Any friendship with Epstein would have been a bone of contention for Melinda," said the source. "There is no way that Melinda would have wanted to spend time with Epstein."
Citing a 2019 FranceInfo article, the outlet reports that a former butler of Epstein's has claimed to have seen Bill and Melinda at Epstein's Paris apartment.
A source close to Melinda, however, flat out denied that she'd ever visited Epstein's home to the Post. Another source confirmed that they never stayed overnight at any of his properties.
Melinda is reportedly bothered by Bill's connection to Jeffrey Epstein and began consulting divorce attorneys in 2019. (Getty Images)
"Bill Gates regrets ever meeting with Epstein and recognizes it was an error in judgment to do so," said Bridgitt Arnold, Bill's spokesperson, in 2019 when it was revealed that Bill had met with Epstein. According to Arnold, the two met to discuss philanthropy.
The Epstein connection has been a widely-reported reason behind their split, while it's also been reported that Melinda began consulting divorce attorneys as early as 2019.
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Fox Business has reached out to reps for Bill and Melinda for comment.