Billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has publicly acknowledged his relationship with Paula Hurd, describing her as his "serious girlfriend" and sharing that the couple is "having fun" together. The 69-year-old philanthropist spoke about Hurd during an interview on TODAY yesterday, offering a rare glimpse into his personal life since his high-profile divorce from Melinda French Gates in 2021.
"I'm lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula," Gates said. "So we're having fun, going to the Olympics and lots of great things."
Gates and Hurd have been seen together at multiple public events since 2022, though they did not confirm their relationship until the following year. Since then, the couple has made several appearances together, including at the 2024 Olympics.
Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, has been actively involved in philanthropy for over two decades, focusing on education and healthcare initiatives. She was married to Mark Hurd until his passing in 2019, and the couple had two daughters. Throughout her career, she has played a significant role in fundraising efforts for various nonprofit organisations.
Hurd was also acknowledged in Gates' recently released memoir, Source Code, which was published yesterday. In the book’s acknowledgements, Gates credited her as one of the early readers of his manuscript.
The memoir delves into Gates' formative years, covering his childhood and the early years of his career up until the late 1970s, a few years after he co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
Speaking about "Source Code" on TODAY, Gates reflected on the experience of revisiting his past.
"This year, I turn 70, Microsoft turns 50, and so I thought, OK, I should share what luck I had to have amazing parents, you know, the way they let me go out and hike and try new things," he said. "I was just unbelievably lucky, and, you know, that's why Microsoft ended up being so successful."
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