Melinda French Gates, a prominent figure in global philanthropy, has addressed recent criticisms from tech titan Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wife and fellow philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, emphasising her unwavering commitment to impactful work through her foundations. In a recent appearance on Scott Galloway’s podcast, Gates made it clear that she's focused on action, not debate.
"I’m in the arena doing the work," Gates stated, responding to questions about the critiques of her charitable efforts. She co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her former husband, Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and a powerhouse in global health, education, gender equality, and poverty reduction.
Following her divorce, Gates expanded her focus, particularly on issues affecting women and girls worldwide. In 2022, she pledged $1 billion over 10 years through her company, Pivotal Ventures, to bolster women’s rights, reproductive health, and leadership. More recently, she launched a $250 million "Action for Women’s Health" fund, aimed at improving women's mental and physical well-being.
But, her work hasn’t gone without scrutiny. Last June, Elon Musk notably weighed in on Gates’ political activities, suggesting they "might be the downfall of western civilisation." This comment came in response to a post by conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, who quipped about "the scorned billionaire wife to Democrat activist pipeline."
Gates, however, remains undeterred. She’s also been candid about her divorce from Bill Gates, citing a lack of honesty as the key factor. "To have a trusted relationship, which is what I want in marriage, both partners have to be honest with one other," she explained during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "And if you can’t, you can’t have intimacy and you can’t have trust. And so, in the end, I had to go."
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