Who was Bill Gates’s first wife?

Bill Gates’s first wife was Melinda French, who became known as Melinda Gates after their 1994 marriage.

Bill Gates and Melinda French married on January 1, 1994, in Lanai, Hawaii. Melinda had joined Microsoft in 1987 and held roles in product development and management before becoming a prominent philanthropist.

The couple later established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports work in global health, education, poverty reduction, and other areas. They announced their divorce in 2021, and their marriage legally ended in 2021.

Melinda subsequently returned to using the surname French Gates. This makes the wording of the answer important: “Melinda French” identifies her by her family name, while “Melinda Gates” was the name widely associated with her during the marriage and foundation’s earlier years.