It was only a matter of time before Melinda French Gates launched a new venture following her 2021 divorce from her billionaire ex-husband. I imagined it would have been a wellness brand, an app, or a venture capital firm, but instead, the philanthropist is releasing a memoir entitled The Next Day, as is the trajectory of most members of the Girlboss Guild.
In a new interview with People, French Gates opened up about “staying true” to oneself, the many “betrayals” in her marriage, and the insight included in The Next Day. The book’s logline: “Each one of us, no matter who we are or where we are in life, is headed toward transitions of our own. With her signature warmth and grace, Melinda candidly shares stories of times when she was in need of wisdom and shines a path through the open space stretching out before us all.”
Sounds a lot like your garden variety advice book, no? Well, according to French Gates, she’s “not trying to give advice to anybody.” So, just in case you’ve found yourself married to a man who’s rubbed elbows with a prolific pedophile, this isn’t the book for you! Still, there just might be some super relatable anecdotes if you’ve ever been publicly cheated on, are prone to panic attacks, or have “billions” to give away as she claims to via her investment firm, Pivotal, which she launched in 2015.
“Bill has publicly acknowledged that he wasn’t always faithful to me,” French Gates reportedly writes in the memoir. In a 2022 interview with CBS Mornings, Bill admitted to “mistakes” when asked about fidelity.
“I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes, I caused pain, and I feel terrible about that,” he said. According to multiple sources, his affairs were more of an “open secret” than anything. But the excerpts of French Gates’ novels don’t elaborate much on that. They do, however, note that she was struck by a “deeply disturbing” article published in the fall of 2019, as reports detailing Bill’s past meetings with sex offender and financier, Jeffrey Epstein, seemed to multiply. Perhaps the said article was this one.
Not long afterward (February 2020, to be exact), French Gates said she knew it was time to throw in the towel on her marriage. Smart! According to her excerpts, Gates was so terrified by the thought of a showdown that she “started having panic attacks.”
“Bill has a reputation for being one of the toughest negotiators in the world,” she reportedly writes. Divorce is rarely amicable for anybody, let alone a man with billions on the line. However, she clarifies that she’s had panic attacks amid other stressful events, too. Examples: Her son nearly falling over the edge of a hot air balloon, and when Bill proposed giving a “lavish” exit package to a “toxic” person at work while on vacation in Mexico. Meanwhile, I have panic attacks about not being able to afford medical bills, collective suffering under a fascist dictatorship, or, you know, never being able to retire or purchase a home.
Though their split was, in her words, “grueling,” they managed. In a particularly funny passage, French Gates remembers their daughter showing her memes about the divorce just after it was finalized and laughing. How very The White Lotus. Though it’s unclear what the parameters of the settlement are, given Bill’s net worth (a reported 107.8 billion), it’s safe to say she should be laughing. All the way to the bank.
“It takes courage forging a different life,” French Gates told People. “When you change paths, you realize, oh, it’s a big opening.” And what better to fill that opening with than another out-of-touch book!
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