Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’

Take it from me: Spend an hour with Melinda French Gates will restore at least a drop of your faith in humanity. The billionaire philanthropist, investor and longtime advocate for women and girls is a rare example of a super-wealthy American who takes seriously the responsibilities that come with his wealth.

In Gates' case, she's now funneling much of that responsibility—and billions of her own dollars—to Pivotal Ventures, a collective of organizations dedicated to advancing women's causes in the U.S. and around the world. Just recently Pivotal announced $250 million in awards women's health organizations in 22 countries. Given the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on women's issues and diversity in general, as well as the dark embrace going on between tech industry leaders (Gates' ex-husband, Bill, was part of that change) and President Trump, it seemed like a particularly important time to talk to Gates about all of this.

From her own journey through the all-male Big Tech “debate club” to the billionaire boys who don't give away big bucks, I was pleasantly surprised and even a little inspired by Gates' candor in discussing the very real issues of this particular moment. So if you checked the news and felt even a little angry this morning, keep reading. It's useful to be reminded that not all billionaires are created equal, and that some are still striving for greater equality overall.