Bill Gates says becoming a grandfather 'does definitely mellow you a bit'
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- Bill Gates is preparing to become a grandfather again.
- In June, Jennifer Gates Nassar announced she was expecting her second child.
- The Microsoft cofounder said having grandchildren "does definitely mellow you a bit."
Bill Gates is preparing to become a grandfather again.
In June, Jennifer Gates Nassar announced she was expecting her second child. Nassar already has one child, Leila, with Egyptian equestrian Nayel Nassar.
Speaking on "The Life Scientific" on BBC Radio 4, the Microsoft cofounder said having another grandchild on the way "does definitely mellow you a bit."
He added that the experience of being a grandparent had been "quite amazing."
Gates has acknowledged that he had a habit of overworking in the past. In 2023, he told Northern Arizona University's graduating class that he rarely took breaks when building Microsoft.
"When I was your age, I didn't believe in vacations. I didn't even believe in weekends," Gates said. "I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours."
He said he later learned the level of intensity he brought to work was not always appropriate.
"As I got older — and especially once I became a father — I realized that both in terms of doing your best work and having a great life, that that intensity was not always appropriate. Don't wait as long as I did to learn this lesson," he told the graduates.
Gates said his priorities changed when he met his future wife, Melinda French Gates. The couple went on to have three children — Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe — before divorcing in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.
The pair also cofounded the Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates Foundation, now known as the Gates Foundation.