Melinda French Gates, the billionaire philanthropist and mother of three, opened up about her decision to let her children choose their last name during school. In an interview with Elle, French Gates, 60, shared that her priority when raising her kids was to let them be who they wanted to be, while also maintaining privacy and normalcy.
To keep things grounded, French Gates initially had her children use her maiden name during elementary school. However, when they entered middle school, the decision on what last name to use was left up to them.
“I wanted the kids to be seen for who they were,” she explained. “My oldest daughter went in with Gates; she felt like she was ready to take that name on. My son chose not to. He used French all the way through high school.”
She added that she wanted to expose her children to real-world experiences and instill a sense of humility, despite their family’s unique circumstances. “We had real discussions about how our family was different, but you shouldn’t think any more of yourself because of that,” she said.
French Gates, who divorced Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 2021 after 27 years of marriage, has three children: Jennifer, 28; Rory, 25; and Phoebe, 22. In a sweet throwback post in May 2022, French Gates shared a family photo with her children, writing, “Missing moments like this one today. They grow up faster than you think!”
