Melinda French Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates, has been doing rounds of interviews off late to promote her new memoir ‘The Next Day’. In her book, Melinda talked about the transition in her life’s journey so far and the lessons she has gathered along the way. In one such interview with the Wall Street Journal, she shared insights regarding her new release and how she has dealt with tough situations in her life. Melinda also mentioned in the conversation about a piece of advice she got from legendary investor Warren Buffett.
Golden advice by Warren Buffett
When asked who she turns to for advice? Melinda said, “I write down a lot of quotes that people tell me over time so I can replay them in my head.” She highlighted an example of getting tough on herself for philanthropy and recalled the advice which she got from Warren Buffett. “You’re working on the problems society left behind, and they left them behind for a reason. They are hard, right? So don’t be so tough on yourself,” Buffett apparently advised Melinda.
Melinda French Gates also highlighted the importance of pausing while going through a change in life in her new memoir. She referred to this time as “clearing” which is the time gap between leaving one chapter of life and starting another. She said, “In that time between when you’re leaving something and you’re starting the next thing, there’s a space. I call it a clearing.”
Pivotal ventures by Melinda
Melinda Gates currently resides in Seattle and co-founded the Gates Foundation in 2000 with her then-husband Bill Gates. She chose to carve her own path following her divorce in 2021 and said, “It was the right time for me to set out on my own.”
She has since established Pivotal Ventures, an organisation that combines philanthropy with venture capital to advance women’s rights globally and within the United States.