# Melinda French Gates

_American philanthropist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/melinda-french-gates
Last updated: 2026-11-09

> Melinda Ann French Gates is an American philanthropist. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she attended Duke University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and economics and an MBA. She joined Microsoft in 1987 as a multimedia product developer. In the same year, she began dating the company's co-founder and then-chief executive Bill Gates, whom she married in 1994 and divorced in 2021. They have three children together.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 15 August 1964 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Dallas ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P27))
- **Occupation:** businessperson; patron of the arts; philanthropist; founder; entrepreneur ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P106))
- **Education:** Duke University; Ursuline Academy of Dallas; Fuqua School of Business ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P69))
- **Spouse:** Bill Gates ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P26))
- **Positions held:** project manager ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P39))
- **Awards:** Jefferson Awards for Public Service; Time Person of the Year; honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge; honorary doctor of the Duke University; Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women; Padma Bhushan; Chatham House Prize; Cross of Recognition; Presidential Medal of Freedom; J. William Fulbright Prize; Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award; Otto Hahn Peace Medal; United Nations Population Award; NAS Public Welfare Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** melindagates ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P2002))
- **Facebook:** melindagates ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P2013))
- **Instagram:** melindafrenchgates ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P2003))
- **YouTube:** UCaxvJ1Zu4i0yEebQZHamQrg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877#P2397))

## Questions

**When was Melinda French Gates born?**  
Melinda French Gates was born on 15 August 1964 in Dallas.

**What positions has Melinda French Gates held?**  
Positions held by Melinda French Gates include: project manager.

**Where did Melinda French Gates study?**  
Melinda French Gates was educated at Duke University, Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Fuqua School of Business.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Melinda French Gates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melinda_French_Gates) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): मेलिण्डा गेट्स](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q463877](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q463877) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Melinda Gates 2014.jpg by Ministry of Women and Child Development (GODL-India)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melinda_Gates_2014.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Melinda French Gates, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Melinda Gates 2014.jpg — Ministry of Women and Child Development, GODL-India.

## Cite this page

"Melinda French Gates". DigiNepal. Last updated 9 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/melinda-french-gates. Retrieved 9 November 2026.