Bill Gates he recently got candid about his divorce from his wife, Melinda Gatescalling it the mistake he regrets most.

The couple, who were married for more than 27 years, separated in 2021 in a billion-dollar divorce.

Since the divorce, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have remained on friendly terms and have continued with new partners.

In an interview with The Sunday TimesBill reflected on his 27-year marriage to Melinda Gates and their divorce, calling it "the mistake I regret the most in my life."

While the 69-year-old Microsoft co-founder acknowledged that he has faced other obstacles, he stressed that none compare to the pain of a breakup.

"There are other mistakes, but this one is above all," he said, describing the divorce as a "miserable" experience for both him and Melinda, which lasted "at least two years."

Despite the challenges, the former couple managed to maintain a cordial relationship. Both have since moved on and are dating other people.

"Melinda and I still see each other - we have three children and two grandchildren, so there are family events," noted Bill, referring to family events with their three children and two grandchildren. "The kids are fine. They have good values."

Reflecting on their marriage, Bill credits him with keeping him "grounded" during the creation and growth of his trillion-dollar company.

Bill and Melinda married in 1994 and share three children: Jennifer (28), Rory (25) and Phoebe (22). The couple announced their divorce in May 2021, but had been living apart for a year before the news went public.

In an interview from 2022 USA TodayMelinda, now 60, revealed it was a "sad day" for her when she realized she was done with her marriage to the billionaire.

Although she described the decision to divorce as a "healthier choice" for both of them, Melinda also called it the "lowest moment" of her life.

"It was not something I ever thought would happen to me," she said. "It certainly wasn't what I thought the day I got married, but I realized on my own that I had to make a healthier choice, and it was just a very, very sad day."

Bill, for his part, took responsibility for his role in divorcing Melinda after 27 years of marriage.

In a Interview 2022 with Savannah Guthrie, admitted he "caused pain" after his then-wife confronted him about reports of an affair with a Microsoft employee.

"I certainly made mistakes and I take responsibility," he said at the time.

Gates added, "I don't think it's constructive to go into specifics at this point, but yes, I caused pain and I feel terrible about it."

In an interview with Gayle King in 2022, Melinda also pointed to Bill's association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a contributing factor to the breakdown of their marriage.

According to Page Sixshe said: "I didn't like him having meetings with Jeffrey Epstein. No. I made that clear to him." Melinda added: "He was disgusting. He was evil personified."

Bill has since described his professional ties to Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, as a "mistake".

After the split, Bill and Melinda moved on in their private lives. In October 2024, Melinda announced her relationship with entrepreneur Philip Vaughn.

The two were spotted holding hands while heading to dinner at Le Bernardin in New York City. Bill, meanwhile, has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, since 2023.

Bill recently shared details of a rare private dinner with President Donald Trump, describing the nearly three-hour meeting as "intriguing" and leaving him "impressed."

Despite endorsing Trump's opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election, Gates seemed upbeat after their conversation.

"I had the opportunity, about two weeks ago, to go to a long and actually quite intriguing dinner with him," Bill said The Wall Street Journal.

During the wide-ranging discussion, he said they focused heavily on public health, an area central to his philanthropic efforts.

"I felt like he was full of energy and looking forward to helping drive innovation," Bill said. "Honestly, I was impressed with how well he showed a keen interest in the issues I raised."