From left: Bill Gates and Paula Hurd attending the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in April 2024.Photo:Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Bill Gatesincluded a shoutout togirlfriend Paula Hurdin his upcoming memoir — and he made sure to give histhree kidssome extra love, too.
In the acknowledgements ofSource Code, which chronicles the billionaire’s childhood all the way through the early days of Microsoft, the 69-year-old philanthropist added in a brief message to Hurd, whom he has been dating since his divorce from ex-wifeMelinda French Gates.
“Early readers of the manuscript included Paula Hurd, Marc St. John, and Sheila Gulati,” Gates wrote. “The close read from dear and trusted friends provided much-needed thoughtful and insightful feedback at critical stages in the writing.”
(L-R) Paula Hurd and Bill Gates attending the Paris Olympics in July 2024.Jean Catuffe/Getty
Jean Catuffe/Getty
Newsof the couple’s relationshipbegan circulating in 2023, about four years after the death of Hurd’s husband, former Oracle CEOMark Hurd, and two years after the end of Gates' marriage.
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Ending his book on a high note, Gates shared a touching tribute to his children: daughtersJennifer, 28, andPhoebe, 22, and sonRory, 25.
“I want to thank my children,” he wrote inSource Code. “Being your father and watching you grow up has been the greatest joy of my life. As I wrote this book, I thought about how proud your grandparents and great-grandparents would be of the extraordinary people you’ve become.”
(L-R) Bill Gates with daughters Jennifer and Phoebe.Jennifer Gates/Instagram
Jennifer Gates/Instagram
Inan interview with PEOPLEahead of his memoir’s publication, Gates said that his kids were all “glad to read"Source Code— and “they were very nice about it,” too.
“I think it kind of completes the story for them,” he says, sharing that although his daughters and son grew up knowing about their late grandparents, there was so much they never got to experience.
Gates' mom, Mary Maxwell Gates, died in 1994, before even his eldest child was born, while his dad,William Henry Gates II, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and died in 2020, was only able to spend so much time with his grandchildren before his health started to decline.
“They knew how much I loved my dad and viewed him as an incredible role model,” Gates tells PEOPLE, adding that likewise, his children knew that his Gates Foundation “really stems from my parents' values.”
Gates Family
“It’s great for them to get a picture of where they come from,” he adds.
“That’s where they show up,” he says.
Source Codewill be published on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
source: people.com
