Melinda French Gates talks about secrets: “If you live with integrity, there will be no secrets.”

Please take it from Me: I’ll spend an hour with you. melinda french gates At least your faith in humanity will be restored a little. The billionaire philanthropist, investor, and longtime advocate for the rights of women and girls is a rare example of an ultra-wealthy American who takes seriously the responsibilities that come with his wealth.

In Gates’ case, she is now putting much of that responsibility, and her billions of dollars, into Pivotal Ventures, a collection of organizations focused on advancing the interests of women in the United States and around the world. Just recently, Pivotal announced. Total prize money: $250 million Provided to women’s health organizations in 22 countries. Given the Trump administration’s continued attacks on women’s interests and mass diversity, and the dystopian hug puddle that’s been brewing between tech industry leaders (Gates’ ex-husband Bill was also part of that shift) and President Trump, checking in with Gates about it all felt like a particularly salient moment.

I found myself pleasantly surprised, and even a little inspired, by Gates’ candor in discussing the very real challenges of this particular moment, from her own journey through Big Tech’s masculine “debate clubs” to billionaires who don’t give away big money. So if you checked the news this morning and felt a little angry, keep reading. It’s good to remember that not all billionaires are created equal, and that some billionaires still want equality across the board.