- Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates is dating philanthropist Paula Hurd.
- They were spotted together at tennis tournaments in 2022 and 2023.
- Gates confirmed their relationship in February and named her in the acknowledgments of his memoir.
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and philanthropist Paula Hurd sat one row apart from each other at a tennis tournament in 2021. The following year, they were photographed cozying up to each other in the stands.
Gates and Hurd have gone public with their relationship since they were first spotted together, walking red carpets and attending sporting events like the 2024 Olympics.
Both were previously married. Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage and share three children. Hurd was married to Mark Hurd, a former CEO of Oracle and Hewlett-Packard with whom she shared two children, until his death in 2019.
Gates, whose net worth is estimated at $109.6 billion, has called Hurd his "serious girlfriend." Here's a timeline of their relationship.
Gates Ventures declined to comment when reached by Business Insider.
October 2021: Gates and Hurd, both avid tennis fans, ran in similar circles before they started dating.
At the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in 2021, Gates was seated one row in front of Hurd next to his ex-girlfriend, Ann Winblad.
March 2022: Hurd and Gates appeared cozy at the Indian Wells tennis tournament in California.
Hurd and Gates attended several games of the tournament in Indian Wells, California, and appeared to lean into each other in the stands of a match between Paula Badosa of Spain and Maria Sakkari of Greece.
September 2022: Gates and Hurd were spotted together again at the Laver Cup tennis tournament in London.
Gates and Hurd are both deeply involved in tennis. Gates has played in charity matches with pros such as Roger Federer, and Hurd chairs the Universal Tennis Foundation, which helps college players transition into professional athletes and supports youth and wheelchair tennis programs.
January 2023: They attended the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Gates and Hurd sat in the front row of the men's singles final match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
February 2023: The Daily Mail reported that the two were in a relationship.
Citing anonymous sources, the Daily Mail reported that Gates and Hurd were dating and had been spotted sightseeing together in Sydney in January.
The Daily Mail also reported that Hurd and her late husband had been seated behind Gates at the BNP Paribas Open as far back as 2015.
April 2024: Gates and Hurd walked the red carpet together at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony.
Gates and Hurd posed for photos together at the 2024 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, nicknamed the "Oscars of science" for its recognition of scientific achievements.
July 2024: Hurd accompanied Gates to the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.
The conference is known as a "billionaire summer camp" where top tech leaders and investors such as Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffett attend industry sessions, play golf, and close deals.
August 2024: They watched gymnastics at the Paris Olympics.
Hurd and Gates attended the women's gymnastics final and team final events. They were joined by Gates' daughter, Jennifer Gates, and her husband, Nayel Nassar, an equestrian who competed for Team Egypt at the same Olympics.
February 2025: Gates thanked Hurd in the acknowledgements of his memoir, "Source Code," and confirmed that they were dating.
Gates' memoir, "Source Code," chronicles his upbringing and the early days of Microsoft.
In the acknowledgements of "Source Code," Gates mentioned Hurd as one of the "dear and trusted friends" who "provided much-needed thoughtful and insightful feedback at critical stages in the writing" of his book.
In an appearance on "The Today Show" promoting his memoir, Gates said that he was "lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula."
"We're having fun, going to the Olympics and lots of great things," he said.
April 2025: They walked the red carpet at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony once again.
Gates and Hurd attended the star-studded ceremony at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
