Bill Gates has spoken about the downfall of his marriage to ex-wife Melinda, calling it the mistake he ‘regrets most’.

Bill, 69, split from Melinda in 2021, after 27 years of marriage.

At the time, the couple’s separation caused widespread surprise, and in a recent interview with the Times, the Microsoft co-founder called it ‘the mistake I most regret’.

“The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years,” he said, explaining he’s ‘more cheerful’ now but still considers it to be ‘the mistake I most regret’.

“When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously successful — that came during the time that we were together,” said Bill.

“So, she saw me through a lot. When we got divorced, it was tough and then she made the decision to leave the foundation — I was disappointed that she took the option to go off.”

Bill and Melinda met in 1987 when Melinda was working as a product manager at Microsoft.

They married in 1994 and went on to have three children together – Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, Phoebe, 22 and two grandchildren, Leila and Mia.

Speaking about his ‘failures’ in life, Bill added: “You would have to put that at the top of the list. There are others but none that matter.

“… Melinda and I still see each other — we have three kids and two grandchildren, so there are family events.

“The kids are doing well. They have good values.”

The couple back in 1998 (Victor Malafronte/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The pair have moved on with new partners, with Bill dating Paula Hurd while Melinda is dating entrepreneur Philip Vaughn.

Melinda has also spoken about the couple’s separation, revealing how the timing of the split allowed the pair to come to a decision about their marriage in private.

Speaking about how they separated during the COVID pandemic, Melinda told Time: “It gave us the privacy to do what needed to be done in private.

“You know, I separated first before I made the full decision about a divorce. And to be able to do that in private while I’m still trying to take care of the kids, while still making certain decisions about how you’re going to disentangle your life — thank God.”

Melinda also spoke about the ‘new opportunities’ in her life, adding: “I live in a neighborhood. Now I can walk to little stores. I can walk to the drugstore, I can walk to a restaurant.

“I absolutely love it.”