Melinda French Gates shares advice from Warren Buffett

Melinda French Gates recently shared valuable advice she received from Warren Buffett, a close friend and longtime advisor to her and her ex-husband, Bill Gates. In an interview, French Gates revealed that Buffett’s counsel has been a guiding light in her philanthropic endeavors, particularly during tough moments at her investment company, Pivotal Ventures. Suppose I get tough on myself about philanthropy. In that case, I remember what Warren Buffett said to us originally: ‘You’re working on the problems society left behind, and they left them behind for a reason. They are hard, right? So don’t be so tough on yourself,'” French Gates recalled. Buffett’s advice emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and patience when tackling complex societal issues. Ethan Kross, an organizational psychologist at the University of Michigan, supports this perspective, explaining that while persistence and realism are crucial for achieving goals, self-compassion is equally important. French Gates and her ex-husband first met Buffett in 1991, and their families have combined philanthropic efforts for decades. Buffett served as a Gates Foundation trustee from 2006 to 2021 and continues to support the foundation’s causes.

Buffett’s advice on self-compassion

In 2010, the trio co-founded The Giving Pledge, a campaign encouraging billionaires to give away a majority of their wealth during their lifetimes. Another piece of advice from Buffett that French Gates cherishes is: “Find your bullseye of what you’re working on and let the other things fall away. You’ll feel better if you keep your talents in that bullseye and keep working on those issues, and you’ll feel less bad about letting other things go.” Both pieces of advice share a common theme: self-criticism can be a barrier to achieving goals, so patience and focus are essential. French Gates may need that patience to reach her longer-term goals at Pivotal Ventures, which has ambitious commitments set for completion by the end of 2026, including significant improvements in maternal mortality and progress toward gender equality. “We can track things like maternal mortality. Does that get better over the next five years?” she said. “Then, there are long-term issues. Are we getting closer to gender equality? A true gender societal norm is a 20-year play, so check back with me when I’m 80.” By recalling Buffett’s sage advice, French Gates navigates the challenging landscape of philanthropy with a blend of determination and self-compassion, ensuring that she remains focused on the impactful goals she has set for the future. Image Credits: Photo by Medienstürmer on Unsplash