4 days Ago By People
Melinda French Gates and rumored boyfriend Philip Vaughn were all smiles for their latest outing. The pair, who first sparked romance rumors last year when they were photographed holding hands , were spotted in New York City ahead of the start of her book tour for The Next Day , out Tuesday, April 15. During the weekend outing, the pair were both smiling as the businessman, 48, helped the 60-year-old philanthropist out of a vehicle.
Representatives for French Gates had no comment when reached by PEOPLE. Related: Melinda French Gates’ New Book Includes a Mysterious Shout-Out: 'You Know Who You Are' The pair were photographed together just a day before French Gates appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote her new book — and provided a brief update about her love life , echoing what she told PEOPLE in a recent cover story . During her talk show appearance, Melinda confirmed that she was currently in a "pretty great" relationship.
She did not provide specifics on the show and when speaking with PEOPLE, she also kept her partner's name to herself, but said that she's "very, very happy." Her comments come about five months after she was first photographed holding hands with Vaughn. According to Vaughn’s LinkedIn profile, he is the founder and chairman of craft beer delivery company Tavour.
Additionally, he describes himself as having worked for Microsoft between 1999 and 2008. (French Gates also worked at the tech company, where she met her ex-husband Bill Gates , but left before the birth of their first child in 1996.) The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The former couple, who finalized their divorce in 2021 , are parents to three children : daughters Jennifer 28, and Phoebe, 22, as well as son Rory, 25.
Related: Why Melinda French Gates Is Opening Up About Motherhood (Gaining 79 Lbs. in Pregnancy), Marriage and More (Exclusive) In the wake of her divorce, French Gates was previously romantically linked with former Fox News correspondent Jon Du Pre . However, in April 2024, a spokesperson confirmed they were “no longer dating .
" Meanwhile, her ex-husband is dating girlfriend Paula Hurd , 63, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. Read the original article on People.
