Bill and Melinda French Gates have another grandchild on the way!
On June 27, Jennifer "Jenn" Gates Nassar announced that she and her husband, Nayel Nassar, are expecting their second child. The pediatrician and Nassar, an Olympic equestrian, are already parents of 16-month-old daughter, Leila.
“I couldn’t be more excited for you, Nayel, and Leila! Love you," Melinda wrote in the comments.
In 2023, Bill, 68, opened up on Instagram about being a grandfather to Leila. In the photo, he is snuggled up with the little girl and reading her a book.
"Becoming a grandparent has given me a whole new lens to see the world through," the The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist shared on Instagram. It keeps me motivated to ensure my granddaughter — and all our grandchildren — inherit a better world than they were born into. #grandparentsday."
In 2021, Bill and Melinda announced that they were parting ways after 27 years of marriage. The former couple share children Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 21.
Bill told Britain's The Sunday Times in 2022 that he considers Melinda, 59, a friend.
“We have a, you know, super important, complex, close relationship where we’ve chosen to work together," Bill revealed.
In May 2024, however, Melinda stepped down from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable organization that she co-founded in 2000 with with her now ex-husband.
“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” Melinda posted on the X platform. “I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world.”
“The time is right for me to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy,” she added.
Read on to learn more about the Gates' three children.
Jennifer Gates, 28
Jennifer, who goes by 'Jenn', is a pediatrician and is married to Egyptian Olympic equestrian Nayel Nassar. She and Nassar welcomed their first child, a daughter named Leila, in March 2023. In June 2024, Jenn announced that she is pregnant with baby No. 2.
“Leila, being promoted to big sister,” Jenn captioned an Instagram post.
After Jenn completed medical school, she reflected on what the degree meant to her.
“Dr. Gates, MD, MPH,” Jenn wrote on Instagram, at the time. “Can’t believe we’ve reached this moment, a little girl��s childhood aspiration come true. It’s been a whirlwind of learning, exams, late nights, tears, discipline and many moments of self-doubt, but the highs certainly outweighed the lows these past 5 years.”
Jenn is also an equestrian and has been riding since she was 6.
“I know I won’t always be able to compete, or even to ride every week. But horses are just too special,” Jenn told Sidelines Magazine in 2020. “I can’t imagine not having them as a part of my life.”
Rory Gates, 25
Bill and Melinda’s only son — and the most private of their three children — graduated from the University of Chicago with a double major and Master’s degree.
In a 2017 essay published in Time, Melinda described Rory as “compassionate and curious.”
“He’s intelligent and well-read and deeply informed about the wide range of issues that interest him,” Melinda wrote. “He inherited his parents’ obsessive love of puzzles. But one of the things that makes me proudest is that Rory is a feminist.”
Phoebe Gates, 21
On June 15, Phoebe Gates graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science degree in human biology. Making the day the milestone even more special: Her mother delivered the commencement speech.
Days after earning her college diploma, Phoebe confirmed on Instagram she is dating Sir Paul McCartney’s grandson Arthur Donald.
Phoebe, a women’s health and reproductive rights activist, is co-founder of Phia, a forthcoming sustainable fashion platform.
Of all the Gates children, Phoebe is the most active on social media, and regularly shares videos with her mom and dad.
“People probably find it funny to see my dad being a goof,” she told The Information in 2023.
While chatting with publication, Phoebe also noted that people have “a lot of preconceptions” about her.
“So TikTok has been a chance for me to tell my own story and also use the attention my family name might bring to spotlight issues that are important to me,” she explained.
