Bill Gates and His Girlfriend Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance Together
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, isn't one for working the red carpet. However, it seems the tech genius and philanthropist is willing to make an exception with his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, by his side.
Gates, 70, hit the red carpet with Hurd this week while attending the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. The dapper couple mugged for the camera in a rare red carpet appearance, for which Gates wore a black brocade suit with a black bow tie. Hurd looked equally as elegant, wearing a black wrap dress.
Who is Bill Gates' Girlfriend, Paula Hurd?
The widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, who died in 2019, Hurd worked for two decades in a variety of sales and services leadership positions at NCR Corporation, according to her biography on the Baylor University website.
Currently, Hurd "is a longtime community volunteer and philanthropist from Silicon Valley who has a passion for supporting educational and healthcare initiatives in her community as well as at Baylor University, the beloved alma mater of her late husband, Mark (BBA '79)."
When Did Bill Gates and Paula Hurd Start Dating?
After Gates got divorced from Melinda Gates in August 2021, he and Hurd were spotted together in 2022 and 2023, PEOPLE reported. However, they made their red carpet debut at the Breakthrough Prize in 2024, which is the same major event they hit the red carpet for this past weekend.
Here's a look at the couple on the same red carpet back in 2024:
What Has Bill Gates Said About Dating Paula Hurd?
While Gates isn't one to speak profusely in the press about his relationships, the tycoon has shared a little bit about how much fun he's having with Hurd, who has two daughters of her own.
"I'm lucky to have a serious girlfriend named Paula," Gates said during an appearance on Today in February 2025. "We're having fun. Going to the Olympics and lots of great things."
Eagle eyes will notice that he even thanked his lady love in the acknowledgments of his 2025 memoir, Source Code.
"Early readers of the manuscript included Paula Hurd, Marc St. John, and Sheila Gulati. The close read from dear and trusted friends provided much-needed, thoughtful, and insightful feedback at critical stages in the writing," he mentioned in the back of the book.
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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 6:35 AM.