Melinda Ann French was born on 15 August 1964, in Dallas, Texas USA, and now as Melinda Gates her surname announces her importance as one of the most powerful and influential women in the world, regardless that she is married to the richest man in the world. She is businesswoman and philanthropist, and with her husband controls the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, founded in 2000 and acknowledged as the most generous private philanthropic organisation in the world.
So, how rich is Melinda Gates? Notionally, Melinda has equal shares in the fortune accumulated by her husband and herself – she has a big say in Microsoft too – so to say that her nominal net worth is around $40 billion is not over-stating her wealth.
Melinda Gates Net Worth $40 Billion
Melinda was a successful pupil of St. Monica Catholic School. It could be said, that the fortune of Melinda Gates was decided at a young age as she was educated at the Ursuline Academy of Dallas, and later graduated with a Bachelors degree in economics and computer science from Duke University, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Fuqua School of Business. Having an impressive education, it was not problematic for Melinda to start earning her net worth by joining the Microsoft Company and taking part in the development of Microsoft’s products. Melinda is known for her work at Microsoft – American multinational corporation, for her work as project manager of profitable products such as Expedia, Microsoft Bob and Microsoft Encarta.
However, it is Melinda’s relationship with Bill and their philanthropic activities which inevitably take centre stage. While working in Microsoft she met her husband-to-be, and after six year dating they married in 1994 in Hawaii. Shortly after marriage Melinda Gates left her full-time job to care for their three children. The businesswoman could take care of her children and also become involved in charity work. The philanthropic work of the Gates family is really notable, as they have founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and donated huge sums of over $35 billion and rising. The primary idea of the foundation was to set computers in all libraries of USA, but later the goals became bigger, to contribute to education and health, and alleviate poverty all over the world. Another imposing act of charity work is an estimated $560 million spent to improve access to contraception for girls and women in needy countries. The impressive net worth of Melinda has also benefited her high school Ursuline Academy of Dallas, to which she has donated $10 million.
In 2002 Gates received an Award for Greatest Public Service. In three years the Gates family has been named Time’s People of the Year. In 2006 they received Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation and Order of the Aztec Eagle. In 2013 Gates was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters by Duke University and she is named one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes magazine.
To sum up, Melinda French Gates is a powerful philanthropist whose notional net worth of 40 billion dollars makes her one of the world’s richest people. Her wealth is earned with the help of her boss in Microsoft Corporation, her husband Bill Gates. Their Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the biggest organizations of charity which cares about reduction of poverty, promotion of education and healthcare issues. Gates has also been an associate of Duke University’s board of committee for six years.
A part of her less-than-private personal life is that Melinda and Bill Gates are still raising three children.
