Who is Paula Hurd? Bill Gates spotted with his girlfriend in Venice to attend Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding

Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are among the high-profile guests at the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.

According to People, the pair was recently spotted attending the wedding welcome party of the Amazon founder and his fiancée in Venice. Per the magazine, Gates wore a black suit to the event, while Hurd was seen in an off-shoulder black dress.

The Microsoft co-founder has been dating Paula for a couple of years, and they have made multiple public appearances on different occasions. For those unaware, Paula Hurd (née Kalupa) is a philanthropist who was married to Mark Hurd, former Oracle CEO, until his demise in October 2019. They had two daughters – Kathryn and Kelly.

According to her LinkedIn, Paula Hurd has been working full-time with Hurd Family Investments since 2003 and offers expertise in portfolio management. Paula holds a BBA degree, which she earned in 1984 from the University of Texas, and later worked at NCR (National Cash Register) in a sales and alliance management role.

Paula and her late husband were also longtime supporters of Baylor University, Mike's alma mater. Currently, she is a member of the institution's board.

A look at Bill Gates and Paula Hurd's relationship timeline

As mentioned, Paula Hurd was married to Mike Hurd for 29 years before his passing in 2019. At the same time, William H. Gates III and Melinda French were together for 27 years and parted ways in 2021. Following Gates' divorce, he was linked with Paula Hurd after they were seen together in 2022. According to People, they appeared together at the Laver Cup and the Australian Open.

Gates and Hurd's relationship was confirmed in early 2023. A friend of the couple told the Daily Mail in February that year,

"They’re inseparable.They've been together over a year and she's always described as a ‘mystery woman,’ but it's no mystery to their inner circle that they're in a romantic relationship."

Another source told People,

"It's widely known that Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are dating, but she hasn't met his kids yet."

Paula Hurd accompanied Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's engagement in August 2023 and later attended the India-based Ambani family's pre-wedding celebrations in March 2024, according to People. They were later photographed on the red carpet of the Breakthrough Prize ceremony in April.

Gates and Hurd also visited the Paris Olympics with the former's daughter, Jennifer Gates, and her husband, Nayel Nassar. The couple's most recent public appearance was at Bezos and Sánchez's wedding.

For those unversed, the Microsoft co-founder also made headlines earlier this year for pledging to give away around $200 billion over the next two decades and shuttering the Bill Gates Foundation.

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