Bill Gates, the 67-year-old co-founder of Microsoft, has been in a relationship with Paula Hurd, the widow of Mark Hurd, the CEO of software company Oracle, for over a year. Here's all we know about Gates's new love interest.

Gates and Hurd, 60, have reportedly been acquainted for some time owing to their mutual social circles. On September 23, 2022, they were seen together at the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London. Most recently, the two were seen having a good time exploring Melbourne, Australia, and enjoying the Australian Open.

The news of their relationship comes close to two years after Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates announced they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage, which was finalised in August 2021. 

Who is Paula Hurd?

Hurd's late husband and Oracle CEO Mark Hurd died in 2019 after a battle with cancer, with 30 years of marriage. Kathryn and Kelly, their daughters, are their only children. Mark Hurd was 62 and had an estimated net worth of $500 million at the time of his death.

She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas in Austin in 1984, following which, Hurd began a long career in sales and alliance management with the software business NCR upon graduation (National Cash Register), according to People magazine.

Hurd is also a philanthropist who works as a developer and organiser of events for personal, corporate, and charitable occasions. She helped the school's Give Light Campaign reach its $1-billion mark with a generous $7 million donation in 2021. 

Hurd is a mom to two children, daughters Kathryn and Kelly, with her late husband. 

PageSix reports that Hurd and Gates run in the same social circles and had crossed paths before Mark's death due to their shared love of tennis. 

An end to 27 years

In his annual year-end blog post in December 2021, Gates reflected on having hit "some personal low points over the past years," including "the end of my marriage". 

Bill and Melinda Gates share three children: daughters Jennifer, 26, and Phoebe, 20; and son Rory, 23. Jennifer is currently expecting her first child with husband Nayel Nassar.

Last year, Melinda Gates sparked romance rumours with Jon Du Pre, a former reporter who worked as a correspondent for Fox News in the 90s and early 2000s. 

Despite their split, Gates and his ex have remained committed to their work with The Gates Foundation, which they founded in 2000.

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