Melinda French Gates has had a change of heart. Not regarding ex-husband Bill Gates, that’s done and dusted, but about the bulk of the $15 billion pledge she made with Bill Gates to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their ultra-expensive $130 billion split after 27 long years of marriage certainly changed things no matter the couple’s calm and composed front. The stance of her philanthropist endeavors remains unchanged. Still, she does wish to spread the money around to other philanthropic causes instead of pouring it all into the foundation she co-founded with her husband.
The New York Post shared her new Giving Pledge letter, “I recognize the absurdity of so much wealth being concentrated in the hands of one person, and I believe the only responsible thing to do with a fortune this size is give it away — as thoughtfully and impactfully as possible. The ultimate goal of any philanthropist should be to render the need for philanthropy obsolete.” She added, “That’s why, as part of this pledge, I commit to doing more than writing checks. I also commit my time, energy, and efforts to the work of fighting poverty and advancing equality – for women and girls and other marginalized groups – in the United States and around the world.”
Melinda Gates also mentioned the Pivotal Ventures initiative in her Giving Pledge letter. It does not mean Melinda won’t be giving funds to the Gates Foundation; it could only mean she intends to do more with Pivotal Ventures, a charitable organization supporting “innovative solutions to problems affecting US women and families.” The high profile and one of the most expensive divorces ever certainly impacted more than just Bill and Melinda Gates and their kids.
Even their long-time friend Warren Buffet resigned as a trustee from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation weeks after the divorce announcement. Last month, Bill and Melinda appointed a new board of trustees for the foundation. French Gates remains a co-chair with involvement in its operations, and the former couple still makes occasional joint announcements regarding the foundation’s initiatives as per New York Post.
[Via: Forbes]
