Melinda Gates has opened up about her 25-year marriage to Bill Gates, and what it takes to make their relationship work.
During an interview with The Sunday Times, Melinda, who is currently promoting her book The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, revealed that laughter is an important aspect of her marriage.
“We’ve just gotten to a point where Bill and I can both laugh about more things,” the 54-year-old said. “And, believe me, I can remember some days that were so incredibly hard in our marriage where you thought: ‘Can I do this?’”
According to Melinda, who married the Microsoft founder in 1994, the couple’s initial relationship required lots of patience on her part, as her husband wasn’t sure if he would be able to balance love and work.
Recalling a time early on in their relationship, Melinda said: “When he was having trouble making the decision about getting married, he was incredibly clear that it was not about me, it was about ‘Can I get the balance right between work and family life?’”.
Once the couple did marry, Melinda said it was mostly easy to be married to the billionaire tech entrepreneur, despite Bill requiring a “little training”.
One example Melinda shared was a time she was struggling to get the couple’s three young children ready and the family car packed - while Bill, the second-richest man in the world, was absorbed in a book about Winston Churchill.
The couple’s three children are currently aged 16, 19, and 22.
During the interview, Melinda also emphasised the importance of a having a spouse that views you as equal - a quality in Bill that she credits to their successful marriage.
You can purchase The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World here.
