Who is Paula Hurd, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates' new girlfriend?

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has found love again!After his high-profile divorce from Melinda Gates in 2021, the billionaire is reportedly seeing fellow tennis enthusiast Paula Hurd, according to People magazine.The duo was recently photographed cheering on the Men's Singles Final at the Australian Open.The magazine quoted a source close to the couple as saying, "it's widely known that Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are dating, although she hasn't met his kids yet."Also read: Moo Menace: Why Bill Gates is investing in Australian startup targeting cow burpsAll about Paula HurdPaula Hurd was married to Mark Hurd, the former CEO of Oracle who died in 2019 at the age of 62 following a battle with cancer. Kelly and Kathryn are their two daughters, according to Fox Business.According to the report, Oracle founder Larry Ellison said at the time, "Mark leaves his beloved wife Paula, two wonderful daughters who were the joy of his life and his much larger extended family here at Oracle who came to love him.”The 60-year-old is a philanthropist, tennis lover, and event organiser. According to her LinkedIn profile, she organises business, personal, and charitable gatherings.Hurd has also worked as a technology executive. She spent 17 years at NCR Corporation, a software business based in the United States, where she held several sales and service leadership positions.In 1984, she earned a Bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin, according to Economic Times.Hurd is on the Board of Regents of Baylor University in Texas, Mark Hurd's alma mater. The board is the university's recognised governing body. She has been supporting the university's national championship tennis program.She has made a $7 million (~ Rs 63.55 crore) donation to the Baylor Basketball Pavilion.Last year, she kept their tradition by creating a new project at the BNP Paribas Open that awarded $100,000 (~ Rs 8.25 million) grants to young aspiring players.According to Dailymail, Hurd and Gates were photographed together watching the Women's Tennis Association semifinal match in Indian Wells barely four days after the programme was announced.Gates said in a BBC interview a few days after their Australian vacation that he is open to dating romantically again after his divorce.Also read: Video of Bill Gates dancing his heart out at 1995 Microsoft Windows launch party goes viral; watch Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are ‘inseparable’According to a Pagesix report, Paula Hurd and Bill Gates, who run in the same circles, had met prior to Mark’s death due to their shared love for tennis.The pair has been snapped together several times at several sports events in the past too. They were spotted enjoying the Men's Singles Final at the Australia Open in Melbourne last month.The romance rumour was fuelled when they were seen walking together around the city, however, Hurd wasn’t identified at the time.According to Dailymail, the couple also visited Sydney, where the billionaire met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Bill Gates’ divorceMelinda French Gates and Bill Gates announced their divorce in May 2021. They were married for over 30 years, reportedly Dailymail.At the time when their divorce was finalised in August 2021, the couple announced that they would continue to run their organisation named the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation jointly.Notably, in a year-end blog titled ‘The future our grandchildren deserve’ in December last year, Gates admitted that he had “hit some personal low points over the past few years, including the death of my father and the end of my marriage.”

He wrote, “As I reflect on the past and look ahead to next year, I'm feeling grateful for the people in my life who support me in difficult moments. They remind me of what's important, and they inspire me to be a better father and friend.”

“Being wealthy makes my life much more comfortable, but not more fulfilling. For that, I need family, friends and a job where I work on things that matter. I’m grateful to have all three.”With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.