Melinda French Gates announces departure from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda French Gates has announced that she plans to step down from her post as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. My last day of work at the foundation will be June 7th," she said in a statement. "Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families. I'll be sharing more about what that will look like in the near future."

'Melinda, this is so exciting.'

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates divorced in 2021, according to People, ending their more than a quarter century-long marriage.

"We will be changing our name to the Gates Foundation to honor Bill Sr.'s legacy and Melinda's contributions, and Bill will become the sole Chair of the foundation," the organization's CEO, Mark Suzman, noted.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded to Melinda French Gates' announcement, tweeting, "Melinda, this is so exciting. Thanks for everything you've already done, and I can’t wait to see all you do next. Onward!"

"As a co-founder and co-chair Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality," Bill Gates stated. "I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work."

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