Guide Note

Philanthropist and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates started dating Bill Gates in 1987 while working as the General Manager of Information Products at Microsoft. They married in 1994. Since then, Melinda Gates has taken the lead in the couple's philanthropic giving, traveling all over the world to oversee the projects their foundation supports.

Fast Facts

1. Born: August 15, 1964
2. Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
3. Full Name: Melinda French Gates
4. Birth Name: Melinda Ann French
5. Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
6. Married Bill Gates in 1994, three children
7. High school valedictorian in 1982
8. Sits on the board of The Washington Post
9. Named Time's Person of the Year in 2006 with her husband and U2 singer Bono
10. Listed in Forbes Top 100 Most Powerful Women three years in a row (2005-2007)
11. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest foundation in the world

Biography

Born and raised in Texas by an engineer and a stay at home mom, Melinda Gates developed a love of computers early in life. As a teenager she taught other kids the BASIC programming language, and when it came time for college, she turned down Notre Dame because they were planning to phase out their computer program. She graduated from Duke University's Fuqua Business School instead, with a Master of Business Administration, before being hired by Microsoft in 1987.

Quotes

1. "If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped."—Melinda Gates
2. "Everyone agrees that the failure of our high schools is tragic. It’s bad business, and it’s bad policy. But we act as if it can’t be helped. It can be helped. We designed these high schools; we can redesign them."—Melinda Gates
3. "A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. It’s complicated by the fact that in most nations women receive substantially less education than men."—Melinda Gates