MSFT Dec 2026 310.000 call

Inside Melinda French Gates’ plans to end gender inequality

Melinda French Gates is one of the most influential philanthropists in the world. As co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private charitable foundation in the U.S., she spearheaded donations of totaling $77.6 billion in grants since its inception in 2000. However, Gates will be resigning from the foundation as of June 7th, 2024. Now, she wants women to have the opportunities she and many others did not and end gender inequality in the United States. French Gates's work in diversifying opportunities continues at Pivotal Ventures LLC, which she founded in 2015. Under French Gates’ vision, Pivotal Ventures has pledged $1 billion to investment and incubation firms supporting initiatives that empower women and people of color in four key sectors: politics, technology, finance, and storytelling. From her early days at Microsoft to her life as a mother and former life partner to one of the most influential men on the planet, Yahoo Finance delves into the personal and professional life and persona of one of the world’s wealthiest and most influential women. Yahoo Finance spoke to French Gates in mid-March, before she announced her resignation, to unpack how she got to where she is and where she plans to go next. Lead This Way is an interview series that features frank conversations with today’s leaders. The series gives consumers and investors an inside look into the innovative thinking and diverse life experiences of some of the biggest players in business to find out how they lead through change and how they define success for themselves and their organizations. For more on our Lead This Way series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday.