Melinda French Gates, the renowned philanthropist and ex-wife of billionaire Bill Gates, is stepping into a new chapter of her personal life, confirming that she's in a "great" romance. The 60-year-old recently sparked rumors surrounding her relationship with businessman Philip Vaughn, 48, and a recent public outing showed the pair happier than ever.
On April 13, Melinda French Gates and Philip Vaughn were seen holding hands and sharing smiles as they made their way to a Broadway show in New York City. The two seemed in good spirits, with Vaughn helping French Gates out of a vehicle, as they headed to see George Clooney's highly anticipated Broadway production.
The sighting further fueled speculation that the pair has been romantically involved since they were first photographed together in late 2024.
Melinda has been open about her current relationship status. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she confirmed that she is in a "pretty great" relationship. Though she did not mention Vaughn by name, she previously told People she is "very, very happy."
Who is Philip Vaughn?
Philip Vaughn's career trajectory is impressive. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is the founder and chairman of Tavour, a craft beer delivery company. Before venturing into the world of craft beer, Vaughn worked at Microsoft between 1999 and 2008, a company that, notably, Melinda also worked at, where she met her ex-husband Bill Gates. However, French Gates left the tech giant before the birth of their first child in 1996.
Melinda and Bill Gates' current relationship:
Melinda and Bill Gates finalized their divorce in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. The couple shares three children: daughters Jennifer (28) and Phoebe (22) and son Rory (25). Following their split, French Gates was briefly linked to former Fox News correspondent Jon Du Pre, but a representative confirmed in April 2024 that they were no longer dating.
Meanwhile, Bill Gates has moved on and is currently dating Paula Hurd, the 63-year-old widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.
During an interview with The Sunday Times, Melinda said that the divorce was "necessary." French previously explained to People that she found herself losing a sense of self “in the decade or so before my marriage fell apart,” and called her decision to leave her former husband one of the "hardest and most important things” she has done.