Melinda French Gates on wealth: ‘It comes with a great responsibility. But it doesn’t...'

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ ex-wife Melinda French Gates recently spoke about the challenges that come with immense wealth. In an interview with Vanity Fair this month, the philanthropist said that it brings not only privilege but also great responsibility. Stating that her wealth remains ‘surreal’, French Gates said “It comes with a great responsibility. But it doesn't feel like a weight.”
“The weighty part is when you go out in the field and you see the needs of people on the ground.You see how they’re struggling to make ends meet. A single mom whose mother gets sick, who used to be her childcare for her four-month-old baby, that’s what’s hard,” she added.
Forbes estimates Melinda French Gates' wealth at $11 billion, while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index values her net worth at around $13.5 billion.

In July this year, French Gates publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. In the interview, she said “We are like-minded on many issues.” She further added “I’m not specific about any candidate—how much money I put behind her campaign,” though she characterizes her Harris-Walz donations as “substantial.”
“I could not have been more proud of the current president, Joe Biden,” she stated, “what he did, the courage and the humility to say, ‘Okay, I need to pass the baton. The time has come.’ He has worked so hard for this country over so many years, but it takes courage to step aside. He did the right thing for the country.”
She told Vanity Fair that she believes a second term with Donald Trump “would be dangerous” to reproductive rights and gender parity. In the same interview, she revealed that one of the "best parts" of no longer working with her ex-husband Bill Gates is the professional recognition she now receives in her own right. "When I get a meeting now, I know it's because of me," French Gates told Vanity Fair. "Quite honestly, it feels quite good."