Melinda French Gates will be stepping down from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The 59-year-old Microsoft manager - who was married to tech billionaire Bill Gates from 1994 until 2021 - has served as co-chair of her and her former husband's foundation since 2000 but she has now come to the difficult decision to leave her role behind.
In a statement, she said: "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."
Melinda - who throughout her work with the foundation has helped enhance healthcare and provide advancements in information technology throughout the world - is now going to use $12.5 billion to benefit "women and families" and will share more in the near future.
She said: "This is not a decision I came to lightly. I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world. I care deeply about the foundation team, our partners around the world, and everyone who is touched by its work.
I am taking this step with full confidence that the foundation is in strong shape, with its extremely capable CEO Mark Suzman, the Executive Leadership Team, and an experienced board of trustees in place to ensure all its important work continues. The time is right for me to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy."
"This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world-and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support. 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."
