- Melinda French Gates told Bloomberg she was committed to working effectively with ex-husband Bill Gates.
- The pair met the Gates Foundations' new board of trustees for the first time last week.
Melinda French Gates said she remains committed to working with her ex-husband Bill Gates for their charity organization, despite divorcing last year.
Bloomberg reported the news.
The Gates Foundation announced in July last year that Melinda could step down from her role as co-chair if, after two years, either she or Bill decided they could no longer continue working together. The news came a few months after the pair announced their divorce after being married for 27 years.
In an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday, French Gates said she and the Microsoft cofounder have worked "effectively together for a very long time," even when they were going through a divorce and throughout the pandemic.
The Gates Foundation, which Melinda and Bill both chair, has got a new board of trustees, she said during the interview.
"We met for the first time with our board of trustees last week in person," French Gates told Bloomberg. "What I think they would all tell you is that Bill and Melinda remain completely committed to this institution and to working effectively together."
French Gates said she and Bill wanted "good governance" from the board and they were pleased the new board was pushing their thinking. "It was just time ... Bill and I aren't getting any younger," she added.
Bill and Melinda announced they were splitting up in May 2021 and were officially divorced in August, per court records. Around the same time, there were reports tied to Bill regarding allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior and ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Bill Gates said in mid-July that he and Melinda were still working constructively on the Gates Foundation and they support each other.
"I think all the evidence I see says that we'll be able to run the foundation together forever," Gates told Forbes.