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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,171
Registered: ‎01-14-2017

The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

 

I always have a stack of things I mean to read, and today I caught up with a Bill Gates interviews with The Wall Street Journal magazine just in February 2021.  When asked what was the best decision he ever made, Bill Gates answered "I guess getting married. I mean, starting Microsoft worked out, but that I’ll have to put at No. 2."

 

This made me very sad.  Clearly he was hoping to avoid a divorce.

 

I know they are not my best friends for mr to be concerned about, but this seemed to be a marriage that worked bteween 2 good people.

 

Many cynics speak about their wealth, but when they got married, Melinda was just an emloyee at Microsoft, while Bill of course was quite rich in an emerging industry where many failed, and a raging workaholic.  I don't think at that time when many tech companies were failing he took his wealth for granted.  He ruthlessly smashed the competition on his way to the top.  They had no prenup, which says something about Bill.  27 years of marriage, 3 kids, the youngest 18.  So maybe the empty nest did it.

 

They made a lot of money, and then set to make the world a better place.  

 

I guessed someone was cheating, but was so touched by Bill's statement to WSJ that I am not sure.  Marriages don't break overnight, so I am guessing at the time this one was broken, and he appears to have been trying to keep it together.

 

If they can't, who can, really, unless one partner is putting up with a lot.

 

Looks like they intend to keep up their charitable work, and that is good.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,733
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

None of us know anything and can only speculate, which is exactly what happened in the other thread. People seem to ascribe reasons based on their own ideas.


~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,035
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

While I give neither a glowing review, the devil's in the details, for sure.

 

Their divorce had to be in the works for months with those kind of numbers.

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,776
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

I believe everyone enters into marriage with dreams, hopes, plans, and goals in one fashion or another.

 

Sad to see one fail.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,924
Registered: ‎06-07-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

If you only know these people through reading about them you cannot speculate. You only know about them based on what they want you to know. Why would you assume everything they say is the truth? Things go wrong in marriages for lots of reasons and to even think about someone's marriage that you do not know is a waste of time.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,843
Registered: ‎04-23-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made


@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

 

I always have a stack of things I mean to read, and today I caught up with a Bill Gates interviews with The Wall Street Journal magazine just in February 2021.  When asked what was the best decision he ever made, Bill Gates answered "I guess getting married. I mean, starting Microsoft worked out, but that I’ll have to put at No. 2."

 

This made me very sad.  Clearly he was hoping to avoid a divorce.

 

I know they are not my best friends for mr to be concerned about, but this seemed to be a marriage that worked bteween 2 good people.

 

Many cynics speak about their wealth, but when they got married, Melinda was just an emloyee at Microsoft, while Bill of course was quite rich in an emerging industry where many failed, and a raging workaholic.  I don't think at that time when many tech companies were failing he took his wealth for granted.  He ruthlessly smashed the competition on his way to the top.  They had no prenup, which says something about Bill.  27 years of marriage, 3 kids, the youngest 18.  So maybe the empty nest did it.

 

They made a lot of money, and then set to make the world a better place.  

 

I guessed someone was cheating, but was so touched by Bill's statement to WSJ that I am not sure.  Marriages don't break overnight, so I am guessing at the time this one was broken, and he appears to have been trying to keep it together.

 

If they can't, who can, really, unless one partner is putting up with a lot.

 

Looks like they intend to keep up their charitable work, and that is good.


That Bill Gates/WSJ interview contained twenty-one questions and answers. After reading it, I know nothing about his marriage. 

“The soul is healed by being with children.”
— Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,436
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

[ Edited ]

Their business!! 

Everyone is constantly growing and changing and if you do not grow with each other or are not accepting of each other's changes through the years, there could be lots of conflicts.  Many marriages last but not because of any great love or compatibility.  In many, while maybe not totally unhappy, one or both just learn to  accept their lives either by doing their own thing or just giving up and just live to appease the other to keep the peace.  Many also do not have money to each go their seperate ways but when you have tons of money why live a lie and pretend??  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,306
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

From what I have read this morning about present interviews and past interviews it reads to me that they were head over heals for each other at one time.  Sad to see it end.

"Live frugally, but love extravagantly."
Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,065
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made


@mom2four0418 wrote:


That Bill Gates/WSJ interview contained twenty-one questions and answers. After reading it, I know nothing about his marriage. 


That is very true.

 

The only thing we do know about their marriage came from them that they are ending it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,219
Registered: ‎11-24-2013

Re: The Best Decision Bill Gates Ever Made

[ Edited ]

@NYCLatinaMe LOL you "guessed" someone was cheating? What the heck do you base that on? Personal experience? Personal knowledge of Bill and Melinda? Nope, didn't think so.

 

I think all these wild assumptions are so ridiculous. NO ONE knows except the couple involved.

 

Maybe they were BOTH  "trying to keep it together" and it just didn't work. You seem to have a thing for Bill. Very funny!