By Emma Hinchliffe
June 4, 2026
It has been two years since Melinda French Gates left behind the Gates Foundation, which she co-founded with her former husband, Bill Gates. With an estimated net worth of $19.2 billion, she now has full control over how her philanthropic resources are used for the first time in her career—no husband or cofounder to debate.
“It’s very freeing,” she says.
So what is she doing with that freedom? She’s showing other billionaires how to spend their money—starting with addressing a lack of funding for women’s health in the U.S. and around the globe.
Continued: https://archive.is/jOVky
(https://fortune.com/2026/06/04/melinda-french-gates-pivotal-interview-womens-health-philanthropy-billionaires-trump/)