Melinda Gates is the third most powerful woman in the world, and the top American to make the Forbes 2017 most powerful women in the world list.
Gates — who shares an estimated fortune of nearly $90 billion with her husband — has become one of the most prolific philanthropists in the world as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which she helmed virtually on her own for the first six years of operation.
In addition to the pair's education and healthcare initiatives, Gates takes a personal interest in women's issues around the world. At the forefront of her agenda is expanding the availability of contraception and bringing awareness to the concept of time poverty — the notion that hours of daily unpaid work like household chores end up "robbing women of their potential."
In 2016, Gates was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US, by President Obama.
Keep scrolling to learn more about her life and how she became one of the world's richest and most powerful women.
Melinda Gates (neè French) grew up in Dallas, Texas, with her parents — a stay-at-home mother and an aerospace-engineer father — and her three siblings. The family belonged to the local Roman Catholic parish.
Source: Telegraph
The Frenches were intent on sending all four of their children to college, so Melinda's father started a side business for rental properties. "We would help him run the business and keep the books," she said. "We saw money coming in and money going out."
Source: Fortune
Gates was valedictorian and head of the drill team at her high school, Ursuline Academy of Dallas. In 2007, the Gates Foundation donated $7 million to Ursuline for the construction of The French Family Science, Math, and Technology Center — a 70,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold certified laboratory and classroom building.
Source: Ursuline Dallas, Marie Claire
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