Who Is Bill Gates' Girlfriend? All About Paula Hurd

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Meet Bill Gates' girlfriend, Paula Hurd.

The couple’s relationship was confirmed in February 2023, however, Gates and Hurd had been spotted together at several sporting events months prior, including the Laver Cup in September 2022 and the Australian Open in January 2023.

Hurd and Gates eventually made theirred carpet debutin April 2024 at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, though it wasn’t until the following year that he spoke about her publicly for the first time.

“I’m lucky tohave a serious girlfriendnamed Paula,” Gates said during a February 2025 appearance onToday. “We’re having fun. Going to the Olympics and lots of great things.”

Before their relationship went public, Gates told theBBCthat he planned to find love again after his divorce. “Sure, I’m not a robot,” he said.

Read ahead for everything to know about Gates' girlfriend.

She’s the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd

Wikimedia

Hurd was married to Mark Hurd, the CEO of software company Oracle and the onetime boss of Hewlett-Packard, for nearly 30 years, until his death in October 2019.

She studied business in college

She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1984,per her bio on Baylor University’s website.

She used to work in the tech industry

After college, Hurd embarked on a decades-long career in sales and alliance management at the software company NCR (National Cash Register). The corporation is a top enterprise provider of software, hardware and services for banks and retailers.

Now, Paula works as a developer and organizer of a wide range of"memorable" event experiencesfor personal, corporate and charitable occasions, according to her LinkedIn bio.

She’s a philanthropist

Hurd and her late husband contributed to various causes and led numerous fundraising campaigns over the years. As a longtime donor to her late husband’s alma mater, Baylor University, she helped the school’sGive Light Campaignreachits $1 billion mark with a generous $7 million donationin 2021. The school opened a welcome center named for the couple in September 2023.

The fundraising campaign was described on Baylor’s website as one seeking “to further activities that provide an ‘unambiguously Christian education environment;’ create transformational undergraduate education experiences; boost the impact and visibility of Baylor’s research and scholarship; and foster nationally recognized arts and athletics programs, according to Baylor’s foundational pillars.”

She has two daughters

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

News of her relationship with Gates was confirmed in February 2023

SplashNews.com

Although the couple had been seen alongside each other in public since September 2022 (and at the same sporting event in October 2021), it wasn’t until February 2023 that a source close to the couple confirmed the status of their relationship.

At the time, the insider said the pair’s relationship was “widely known.” Five months later, engagement rumors surfaced after Hurd was photographed wearing a piece of jewelry on her ring finger while out with Gates in New York City.

However, a spokesperson for the Microsoft co-founder tells PEOPLE that the ring has belonged to Hurd for quite some time and does not symbolize an engagement.

“Our office can confirm that the ring Mrs. Hurd was seen wearing has belonged to her for decades,” the spokesperson said. (Hurd haspreviously been seenwearing a ring with Gates.)

She and Gates attended Jeff Bezos' engagement party

In August 2023, Gates and Hurd attended Jeff Bezos andLauren Sánchez’sengagement party. The intimate soiree took place on the Amazon founder’s $500 million yacht, which was anchored off the coast of Italy.

She and Gates attended a pre-wedding celebration for Anant Ambani

She and Gates made their red carpet debut in April 2024

The couplewalked the red carpettogether for the first time at the 10th annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles. Hurd dazzled in a black gown adorned with feathers, while Gates looked handsome in a classic black tuxedo.

She and Gates attended the 2024 Paris Olympics

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Gates and Hurd attended the2024 Paris Olympicswith the tech entrepreneur’s daughterJennifer Gatesand her husband,Nayel Nassar. The group was among the many spectators watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team vie for gold.

source: people.com