Bill Gates says divorce from Melinda a 'very sad milestone,' meetings with Epstein a 'mistake'
Gates said that he is still communicating with Melinda and they are working together on their foundation
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Tech mogul Bill Gates opened up about his divorce from wife Melinda Gates and his much-criticized relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that she reportedly took issue with.
"Definitely a very sad milestone," Gates told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday about his recent divorce. "Melinda is a great person and that partnership that we had coming to an end is a source of great personal sadness."
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Gates said that he is still communicating with Melinda and the two are working together on matters related to their global foundation.
Cooper then asked Gates about reports that Melinda was "concerned" about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and asked the Microsoft co-founder to explain the relationship the two had.
"I had several dinners with him hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts he had might emerge," Gates said. "When it looked like that wasn’t a real thing that relationship ended."
Gates added, "It was a huge mistake to spend time with him and give him the credibility. I made a mistake."
When asked by Cooper about reports of workplace misbehavior on Gates’s part he suggested he has regrets.
"Certainly everyone does [have regrets] but it’s a time of reflection, and at this point, I need to go forward," Gates said. "My work is very important to me, within the family we’ll heal as best we can and learn from what’s happening."
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Fox Business confirmed earlier this week that the couple is officially divorced after almost three decades of marriage.
In documents obtained by Fox Business, a judge signed off on their divorce Monday, putting an end to the saga that began when they announced their split in May of 2021.
"This marriage is irretrievably broken," the filing reads. Additionally, it stresses that the parties "should be ordered to comply with the terms of the separation contract."
BILL AND MELINDA GATES ARE OFFICIALLY DIVORCED
The filings also maintain that neither party will receive spousal support, and Melinda will not change her last name. It is unclear what the "separation contract" entails but the agreement determines who receives what in the divorce.
Furthermore, since the former couple shares adult children, the inclusion of child support and a custody agreement is rendered moot.
Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.