Who is Paula Hurd, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' ‘serious girlfriend’?

After his divorce from Melinda French Gates in August 2021, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates began a relationship with Paula Hurd.

In a recent interview on NBC’s Today show, the 69-year-old billionaire publicly discussed his relationship with Hurd for the first time, saying, “I’m lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula. We’re having fun, going to the Olympics, and enjoying great experiences together.”

The relationship became public in February 2023, after Gates' divorce from Melinda. Hurd is the widow of the late Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, who died in 2019 at the age of 62. They had two daughters, Kathryn and Kelly.

Bill Gates and Paula Hurd moved in the same social circles before Mark Hurd’s death in October 2019, largely due to their shared love of tennis. The two were spotted sitting in the same box at a tennis match in 2015.

Paula Hurd, a philanthropist and event organizer, was married to the late Mark Hurd, former CEO of Oracle and Hewlett-Packard, for nearly 30 years until his death in October 2019.

Paula Hurd graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1984, according to her bio on Baylor University.

After college, she began her career in sales at NCR (National Cash Register), a leading provider of enterprise software, hardware, and services for banks and retailers.

According to her LinkedIn bio, Paula now designs and organizes "memorable" events for individuals, corporations, and charitable occasions.

Paula and her late husband were major supporters of Baylor University, Mark's alma mater.

Their contributions include the creation of the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and the Hurd Tennis Center.

In 2021, Paula donated $7 million to Baylor's Give Light Campaign, helping it reach its $1 billion goal. The university opened the Hurd Welcome Center in September 2023.

According to Baylor University, the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center serves as a central hub for the Baylor Family, reflecting their vision for fellowship and community. Their legacy will continue to inspire future generations at Baylor.

Paula met Silicon Valley executive Mark Hurd while working at NCR Corporation, and they married in 1990. They remained together until Mark’s death at age 62, following a brief illness.

Paula is the mother of two daughters, Kathryn and Kelly, whom she shares with her late husband, Mark. Kelly followed in her father’s footsteps by attending Baylor, and Paula was hounored as a Baylor Alumna By Choice.

Gates and Hurd were first spotted together at several sporting events, including the Laver Cup in September 2022 and the Australian Open in January 2023.

The couple shares a mutual love for tennis and has also been seen together at various high-profile events, such as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s engagement party in August 2023.

They were photographed sitting next to each other at the 2022 Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London, and again at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, in October 2021, though they weren’t seated together at that time.

In April 2024, they made their red-carpet debut at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony. In his memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, Gates acknowledges Hurd's contributions as an early reader of the manuscript.

In March 2024, they attended the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujarat, alongside other prominent guests.

Paula Hurd remains active in philanthropy and event organisation, maintaining a low public profile while supporting various causes and initiatives.