Jennifer Gates posts a Touching tribute to Melinda’s Birthday

Jennifer Gates, the eldest daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, has nothing but kind words for her mother.

 

Jennifer, shared a series of affectionate tributes on social media in honor of Melinda’s 57th birthday on Sunday — which took place almost two weeks after her divorce from Bill Gates was finalized.

Happy birthday to our one-of-a-kind mom, woman, and hero,” Jennifer wrote on her Instagram Story alongside one throwback mother-daughter shot.

“Wishing you the biggest celebrations today and the most incredible year ahead,” she added in a separate post featuring an equally sweet photo of the pair with their arms around each other as adults. 

Bill and Melinda are also parents to son Rory John, 22, and daughter Phoebe Adele, 18.

Since her parents split, Jennifer — who recently finished her second year of medical school and is getting married to fiancé Nayel Nassar — has also spent time with the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, 65.

Melinda Gates and Jennifer Gates
Jennifer Gates/Instagram

“Nothing better than quality time with family members,” she captioned a smiling photo with her dad back in May.

Bill and Melinda’s 27-year marriage officially ended on Aug. 2, when a judge approved their divorce. 

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Melinda will not be changing her name or receiving any spousal support.

The former couple announced their separation in May. Court documents filed by Melinda at the time called their marriage “irretrievably broken.”

On the same day as her parents announced their split, Jennifer spoke out, calling the separation a “challenging” time for their family.

“I’m still learning how to best support my own process and emotions as well as family members at this time, and am grateful for the space to do so. I won’t personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me,” she wrote in a statement on her Instagram Story.

Melinda Gates and Jennifer Gates
Jennifer Gates/Instagram

As for the future of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while the pair have said they plan to continue working together, CEO Mark Suzman recently revealed that the former couple reached an agreement in which Melinda will step down if, after two years, either she or Bill decides they can no longer work together.

“In such a case, Melinda would receive personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work,” Suzman said. “These resources would be completely separate from the foundation’s endowment, which would not be affected.”

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