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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In a farewell letter marking her last workday at the Gates Foundation on June 7, 2024, Melinda French Gates thanked colleagues and alumni for being part of her life and work for nearly 25 years. She called that connection “a gift,” while expressing sadness about leaving, pride in what they had accomplished, and confidence in the organization’s future.
What did French Gates mean by calling the years a “gift”?
In the letter, French Gates wrote: “So, I recognize what a gift it is that, for the past twenty-five years, you’ve been such an enormous part of my life.” The sentence is reproduced in GeekWire’s June 7, 2024 report, which says the letter was addressed to colleagues and alumni. “Gift” referred to those relationships and shared work—not to a financial contribution.
She thanked colleagues for what they had taught her and for carrying the work forward. Her message held several feelings together: sadness at saying goodbye, pride in what had been achieved, energy about what lay ahead, and gratitude for the people alongside her.
How did she describe the work and its impact?
French Gates connected everyday collaboration at the foundation to changes in people’s lives. The examples in the letter included children reaching their fifth birthdays, women controlling their own resources, farmers improving small family plots, and students entering college prepared to learn and lead. These were illustrative examples in her farewell message, not quantified or independently measured impact figures.
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Was this a farewell to the foundation’s causes as well?
No. French Gates wrote, “Although a chapter ends for me today, this isn’t goodbye.” She said the foundation’s values and future were larger than any one person, expressed confidence in its leaders, and said she would remain involved in causes she shared with colleagues.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does the letter fit into her departure?
The Gates Foundation’s official history dates its founding to 2000 and records that French Gates left in 2024 to pursue her own philanthropic priorities, focused on women and young people in the United States and around the world. The letter itself focused on gratitude, the work, and the people continuing it.
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A separate announcement provides transition context, but was not part of the farewell letter: the Associated Press reported on May 28, 2024, that French Gates planned to give $1 billion over the following two years to support people and organizations working on behalf of women and families globally, including reproductive rights in the United States. That plan should not be mistaken for wording or a commitment made in the letter.
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