Who is Paula Hurd, Bill Gates’ new girlfriend?
Bill Gates must have a micro-soft spot for it.
The tech billionaire is reportedly dating Paula Hurd, the widow of late Oracle chairman and millionaire Mark Hurd.
Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, was spotted with Paula last month while enjoying the Australian Open.
They were also seen walking around Melbourne together and have reportedly seen each other for over a year.
News of their alleged romance comes nearly two years after he and Melinda Gates announced they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage.
Here are six things to know about the woman who apparently stole Gates’ heart.
A Widow by Mark Hurd
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Paula was married to the late Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd until his death at the age of 62 in October 2019 after a battle with cancer. He and Paula married in 1990 and shared two children: daughters Kathryn and Kelly.
Paula was Mark’s second wife. He was previously married to Elizabeth A. Butler from 1980 to 1987.
Mark was the head of computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard from 2005 to 2010, but he left behind a sexual harassment scandal and joined Oracle a month later. He was worth $500 million at the time of his death.
Also a technician
Paula and Gates may have bonded through their mutual background in tech. She previously worked as a technical executive at NCR Global, a digital banking software company.
She worked at the company for 17 years, holding various leadership positions in sales and services until she left in 2001, according to her LinkedIn.
Work and give back
Paula currently works as an event planner and philanthropist. After leaving her career in technology, Paula turned to event planning and philanthropy.
In her LinkedIn bio, she describes herself as a “developer and organizer of memorable mid- to large-scale event experiences for personal, corporate and charitable occasions.”
She currently works as a coordinator for the Club 27 event space.
She also serves as a portfolio manager for Hurd Family Investments, sits on the board of Baylor University, and works as a philanthropist and volunteer at MPH Investments.
Go Longhorns, go!
Paula graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, according to her LinkedIn.
She was a student there from 1980 to 1984 and earned a degree in marketing.
Game, set, game.
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Like Gates, Paula seems to have a lifelong love for tennis. She and her late husband used to attend several tennis matches together. She even crossed paths with Gates in 2015 when they sat in the same box for a game in California.
Since forming a relationship with Gates, the duo have been seen playing the sport together. Last month, Paula and Gates attended the Australian Open together where they enjoyed the men’s singles final together.
no joke
While things seem to be getting serious for the couple, Paula has reportedly yet to meet Gates’ three children from his marriage to Melinda.
“Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are well known to be dating, but she hasn’t met his kids yet,” a source told People in February.
Bill shares three children with Melinda: daughters Jennifer and Phoebe and son Rory.
Still, Paula is growing closer to Bill, as a source told the Daily Mail in February: “They’re inseparable.”