Bill Gates has officially confirmed his relationship with his 'serious girlfriend,' just weeks after admitting that his divorce from ex-wife Melinda French Gates was the 'biggest regret' of his life.
The former power couple married in 1994, has three children, and divorced in May 2021 after 27 years together. Since then, Gates, 69, has been spotted multiple times with Paula Hurd, 62, over the past few years. Here's everything you need to know about Gates's girlfriend.
Bill Gates And Paula Hurd: Relationship Confirmed
Bill announced his new relationship less than a month after he opened up about his difficult divorce from Melinda, 60, calling it 'the mistake I most regret.' During an interview with The Times in December, Bill said: 'I'm more cheerful now. That was the mistake I most regret.'
Though Gates and Hurd had been seen together in public since September 2022 (and even attended the same sporting event in October 2021), a source close to them didn't confirm their relationship status until February 2023.
Later, during a Tuesday appearance on The Today Show, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder openly discussed his love life, saying, 'I'm lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula. So we're having fun, going to the Olympics and lots of great things.'
The influential business leader also mentioned Hurd in his book's acknowledgements, calling her a 'thoughtful friend.' The memoir read, 'Early readers of the manuscript included Paula Hurd, Marc St. John and Sheila Gulati. The close read from dear and trusted friends provided much-needed thoughtful and insightful feedback at critical stages in writing.'
In February 2023, one insider described their relationship as 'widely known.' Five months later, rumours of an engagement began circulating after Hurd was photographed wearing a ring on her left hand while out with Gates in New York City.
However, a spokesperson for the Microsoft co-founder clarified to PEOPLE that the ring has been Hurd's for a while and is not an engagement ring. 'Our office can confirm that the ring Mrs Hurd was seen wearing has belonged to her for decades,' the spokesperson said.
Paula Hurd: Tech Background
Paula Hurd was married to Mark Hurd, the CEO of the software giant Oracle and former head of Hewlett-Packard, for nearly 30 years until his death in October 2019 after a reported battle with cancer, per DailyMail.
According to her bio on Baylor University's website, she earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984.
After graduating college, Hurd began a sales and alliance management career at NCR (National Cash Register), a leading provider of software, hardware, and services for banks and retailers, where she worked for decades.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Paula develops and organises a variety of 'memorable' event experiences for personal, corporate, and charitable occasions.
She's A Mother And Community Leader
Hurd is a mother to two daughters, Kathryn and Kelly, with her late husband. While raising her family, she has also been actively involved in philanthropic work. Hurd and her late husband supported numerous causes and led many fundraising efforts.
As a longtime supporter of her late husband's alma mater, Baylor University, she made a generous £5.61 million ($7 million) donation in 2021, helping the school's Give Light Campaign reach its £0.80 billion ($1 billion) goal. The university opened a welcome centre named after the couple in September 2023.
'Our family is absolutely thrilled with the Hurd Welcome Center. When we made this gift, Mark had a vision for how a welcome experience could transform this corner of campus, and the outcome has by far exceeded our expectations and dreams. I know he would be proud,' Hurd said in a Baylor University press release.
Bill Gates And Paula Hurd: Out And About
In August 2023, Gates and Hurd were among the guests at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's engagement party. The intimate gathering was held on the Amazon founder's $500 million yacht, anchored off the Italian coast.
In early March 2024, Gates and Hurd joined the celebration for Anant Ambani, son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The opulent three-day affair launched with a performance by Rihanna.
Two influential worlds in one frame. Bill Gates with her gf Paula Hurd at Anant Ambani’s pre wedding bash.#prewedding #ambaniwedding #anantambani #billgates#psvfey #AmbaniPreWedding #amici23 #SingaporeTheErasTour #TaylorSwiftErasTourSG #TSTheErasTour #ValenciaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/C9L0KE3A14
— Mahi (@mahii103) March 3, 2024
The couple made their red carpet debut at the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles. Hurd stunned in a feathered black gown, while Gates looked sharp in a classic black tuxedo.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gates and Hurd joined the tech entrepreneur's daughter, Jennifer Gates, and her husband, Nayel Nassar, in the stands. They were among the crowd watching the U.S. women's gymnastics team compete for the gold medal.
