At a Glance
- Bill Gates transferred $7.88 billion to Melinda French Gates’ philanthropy after her exit from their joint foundation
- The payout fulfills part of a $12.5 billion agreement tied to their 2021 divorce
- Money went to Pivotal Philanthropies, the nonprofit Melinda launched in 2022
- Why it matters: One of the largest public charitable transfers on record, reshaping how global women-and-family causes will be funded
Three years after announcing their split, Bill Gates has moved nearly $8 billion into the independent charitable orbit of his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, tax filings show. The transfer cements her financial firepower as she steps away from the Gates Foundation to fund gender-equality work on her own terms.
The $7.88 Billion Transfer
Newly released tax records reveal that Gates routed the donation to Pivotal Philanthropies, the foundation Melinda created two years earlier. The sum represents the first visible tranche of the $12.5 billion she was promised to advance programs for women and families.
A Pivotal spokeswoman confirmed:
> “The agreement has been fulfilled,” declining to specify when the remaining balance was-or will be-paid.
Timeline of the Split
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Divorce announced | May 2021 |
| Melinda leaves Gates Foundation | May 2024 |
| $7.88 B donation recorded | 2024 tax year |
| Memoir The Next Day released | April 2025 |
Melinda called her foundation departure “a critical moment for women and girls,” vowing to deploy the multibillion-dollar grant with “full control” for the first time in her philanthropic career.
Key Takeaways
- $7.88 billion already delivered; $4.6 billion may still move under the 2021 divorce pact
- The donation ranks among the largest charitable transfers ever publicly disclosed
- Melinda’s Pivotal Philanthropies will focus on gender equity and family programs worldwide
With the record-setting transfer complete, all eyes now turn to how Melinda French Gates will deploy the remaining billions-and what impact that will have on global philanthropy.
