One year on from announcing his divorce, billionaire Bill Gates has responded to accusations that he was unfaithful to his then-wife, acknowledging that he’s to blame for “causing a lot of pain to my family.”
“I certainly made mistakes, and I take responsibility,” Gates said on Tuesday in an NBC News interview. Pressed by ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie about allegations that multiple affairs contributed to the breakup of his 27-year marriage to Melinda Gates, he said, “I don’t think delving into the particulars at this point is constructive, but yes, I caused pain, and I feel terrible about that.”
The 66-year-old Microsoft co-founder and vaccine promoter emphasized that he and his ex-wife continue to work together on their philanthropic foundation, but he said the divorce was “sad and tragic.” Asked what he learned through the experience, Gates paused awkwardly, then said his expertise is about such topics as climate change and health care. On personal matters, he added, “I don’t have great advice for other people.”
Asked about the difficulty of watching a CBS News interview his ex-wife did last month – in which she described “lying on the floor crying” at times during her marriage – Gates said, “This was a very tough thing. We had a lot of amazing things in our marriage. The kids, the foundation, the enjoyment we had. And so it’s a very hard adjustment. I know divorces are different, but it’s just a complete change. We were partners, we kind of grew up together, and now that’s different. We’re not married.”