• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
SuccessBillionaires

Melinda French Gates says billionaires aren’t ‘a monolith,’ and not all of them need to be on stage touting their accomplishments

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 18, 2025, 11:45 AM ET
Melinda French Gates attends the 2024 Albie Awards presented by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City.
Melinda French Gates said billionaires—like her children's father, Bill Gates—shouldn't be seen as "monolith."Taylor Hill/FilmMagic - Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Melinda French Gates emphasizes that billionaires shouldn’t be seen as a monolith and that not every business titan needs a massive audience to demonstrate the value of their work. She also prioritized giving her children a grounded upbringing by having them use her maiden name in school and ensuring they experienced a sense of normalcy despite their family’s immense wealth.

Melinda French Gate’s ex-husband might be one of the most famous entrepreneurs on the planet, but she doesn’t believe that being a billionaire automatically consigns an individual to a certain stereotype.

President Trump’s inauguration demonstrated that something of an alliance was forming between some of the world’s richest men.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) stood beside Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who himself was shoulder-to-shoulder with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Beside Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez was Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Apple’s Tim Cook was also in attendance.

Notably missing from the line-up of Magnificent 7 bosses and founders was Gates, as well as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nvidia founder Jensen Huang.

In the run-up to and days since Trump’s inauguration, some of the most powerful men on the planet have rallied around the White House. Others, like Gates, have met with the President but have also cautioned the Oval Office.

In a time of “masculine energy” at Meta and bromances between former Big Tech rivals, French Gates told Elle this week that billionaires shouldn’t be seen as a single entity.

When asked about the message being sent to the public by the coalition of tech titans, French Gates said: “I think it’s really important to not see billionaires as a monolith.

“And not all of them need to stand on a stage to talk about or to demonstrate what they’re doing.”

This might be news to the world’s richest man, Musk, who frequently found himself on stage during Trump’s presidential campaign.

More recently, Musk shared headline spots with Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who wielded a chainsaw on stage in Washington D.C.

French Gates drew criticism from Musk for her support of former President Biden, but isn’t alone in being the ex-wife of a billionaire denounced by the SpaceX founder.

Musk has also criticized the work of Mackenzie Scott, who was previously married to Bezos, calling aspects of her philanthropic work “concerning.”

French Gates’s philanthropic work focuses on supporting and empowering women and girls around the world, and added it’s important to have equality throughout every echelon of power.

She explained: “Men make certain decisions—not necessarily bad decisions, but decisions based on their lens on society, right?” 

Growing up with the Gates name

With Bill Gates worth an estimated $162 billion and French Gates worth an estimated $30 billion, it might have been easy for their children to lose sight of what reality looks like for the general public.

To make sure their children didn’t fall foul of seeing their lives as part of a billionaires club, French Gates established some practices to give her offspring a more normal childhood.

This began in elementary school, with her three children using her maiden name ‘French’ as their surname.

By middle school, her kids were old enough to pick the moniker they went under. French Gates revealed her eldest daughter, Jennifer, chose to use her father’s surname in middle school, adding “she felt she was ready to take that name on.”

Read more from Fortune

  • This entrepreneurial couple cashed out their 401(k)s and sold a $126 million company—now, they run a U.K. soccer team
  • Trump’s 25% tariffs are backfiring and threatening Gen Z’s trade career aspirations—putting car manufacturing jobs in peril
  • Gen Z women are being sold a risky dream: the realities behind ‘investing’ in designer bags like the Hermès Birkin
  • Like Tim Cook and Gen Z, AEG’s top exec eats the same lunch most days and wears the same outfit
  • Warren Buffett reveals the unique education strategy he took in school—and eventually paid off with a $170 billion fortune
  •  

    The couple’s son, Rory, stuck with the surname French throughout middle and high school.

    French Gates explained: “I just tried to keep them in the real world and point things out to them as much as possible. We had real discussions about how our family was different, but you shouldn’t think any more of yourself because of that.”

    This included keeping billionaire tech titan Gates out of the limelight at the start of the academic year.

    French Gates encouraged her former husband to do the school drop-off, commencing from the third week of term, so her children had time to settle in before their billionaire philanthropist father appeared at the bus line.

    “We got about two weeks where we were just ‘the Frenches.’ People saw that we were normal,” she explained.

    The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
    About the Author
    Eleanor Pringle
    By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
    LinkedIn icon

    Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

    See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
    Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

    Latest in Success

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    Most Popular

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Fortune Secondary Logo
    Rankings
    • 100 Best Companies
    • Fortune 500
    • Global 500
    • Fortune 500 Europe
    • Most Powerful Women
    • World's Most Admired Companies
    • See All Rankings
    • Lists Calendar
    Sections
    • Finance
    • Fortune Crypto
    • Features
    • Leadership
    • Health
    • Commentary
    • Success
    • Retail
    • Mpw
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • CEO Initiative
    • Asia
    • Politics
    • Conferences
    • Europe
    • Newsletters
    • Personal Finance
    • Environment
    • Magazine
    • Education
    Customer Support
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Service Portal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Single Issues For Purchase
    • International Print
    Commercial Services
    • Advertising
    • Fortune Brand Studio
    • Fortune Analytics
    • Fortune Conferences
    • Business Development
    • Group Subscriptions
    About Us
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • About Us
    • Press Center
    • Work At Fortune
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Site Map
    • Facebook icon
    • Twitter icon
    • LinkedIn icon
    • Instagram icon
    • Pinterest icon

    Latest in Success

    Now she’s worth $200 million. But Sarah Jessica Parker says being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ growing up created her work ethic
    SuccessCareer Advice
    Now she’s worth $200 million. But Sarah Jessica Parker says being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ growing up created her work ethic
    By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
    2 hours ago
    Tesla cofounder JB Straubel’s first pitch to Elon Musk failed. Then he turned his ‘hobby’ into a $1.3 trillion success
    SuccessBrainstorm Tech
    Tesla cofounder JB Straubel’s first pitch to Elon Musk failed. Then he turned his ‘hobby’ into a $1.3 trillion success
    By Rachel VentrescaJune 24, 2026
    2 hours ago
    The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
    Workplace Cultureburnout
    The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
    By Mikaela Cohen and HR BrewJune 23, 2026
    12 hours ago
    dr
    HealthCancer
    The U.S. cut cancer deaths by 34% since 1991—but not in 458 rural counties
    By Arthur Cosby and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
    15 hours ago
    college
    SuccessEducation
    47% of Harvard seniors admit to cheating — and the problem existed long before ChatGPT
    By Austin Sarat and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
    15 hours ago
    work
    Workplace Culturework culture
    Worker engagement just hit a decade low — and new data from 88 million employees shows why managers are the problem
    By Bob Batchelor and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
    16 hours ago

    Most Popular

    After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
    Success
    After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
    By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
    21 hours ago
    Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
    Banking
    Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
    By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
    23 hours ago
    Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
    Personal Finance
    Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
    By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
    21 hours ago
    Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
    Investing
    Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
    By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
    2 days ago
    Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
    Success
    Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
    By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
    3 days ago
    Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
    Real Estate
    Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
    By Sydney LakeJune 22, 2026
    2 days ago

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.