Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’

Take it from me: Spending an hour with Melinda French Gates will restore at least one iota of your faith in humanity. The billionaire philanthropist, investor and longtime advocate for the rights of women and girls is a rare example of an ultra-wealthy American who takes seriously the responsibility that his wealth brings.

In Gates’ case, she’s now devoting much of that responsibility — and billions of her own dollars — to Pivotal Ventures, a collective of organizations focused on advancing the interests of women in the United States and around the world. Most recently, Pivotal announced $250 million in grants to women’s health organizations in 22 countries. Given the Trump administration’s continued attack on the interests of women and diversity in general, as well as the dystopian hugs taking place between tech industry executives (Gates’ ex-husband Bill was part of that shift) and President Trump, this seemed like an especially important time to check in with Gates about all this.

From his own journey through Big Tech’s male “debate club” to billionaire boys who don’t give a lot of money, I found myself pleasantly surprised, and even a little inspired, by the frankness with which Gates discussed the very real challenges of this particular moment. So if you’ve checked the news and felt even a little angry this morning, keep reading. It’s worth remembering that not all billionaires are created equal, and some of them continue to push for more equality in general.