She’s a philanthropist, scholar, wife, and mother–not to mention she’s the wealthiest (and arguably, most powerful) woman in America. She’s Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Fortune Magazine scored the first-ever profile of Melinda, as she discusses her childhood, relationship with Bill, her family, and her quest for simplicity in her high-tech, billionaire lifestyle.

Melinda French grew up in a middle-class family in Dallas, TX. Her father worked on the space program at LTV, and her mother stayed at home. She attended an all-girls Catholic school in Dallas, and according to her teachers, had many dreams. She was involved in every activity, as well as volunteering on the side and making excellent grades. According to her math and computer science teacher, Susan Bauer, her ambition was “never abrasive…She was always lovely and charming, and she would win people over by being persuasive.”

Melinda became the Valedictorian of her class and despite offers from her dream-school Notre Dame, decided to make Duke her college of choice. Because of her interest in the field, computer science, she wanted to attend the one school that recognized the growing need for computers. Did I mention she was in love with the Apple III Computer as a teen?

In five years, she earned her BA and MBA, unlike her husband who only recently received an honorary degree from Harvard because he never actually graduated. She took a job at Microsoft, and got more than she asked for–the attention of Bill Gates. She talks in the interview about how she had a deep emotional connection with Bill, but was fearful about the huge publicity of Microsoft and how her dating the hard-working CEO would affect her private life.

That worry never stopped her. The couple married in 1994, and are now considered the most prominent (not to mention richest) couple in the world. But their fortune is just the icing on the cake.

In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation was started after Bill and Melinda decided to begin giving their fortune away to help reduce iniquities around the world. Melinda works tirelessly on the foundation, with assets of over $37 billion dollars. “We literally go down the chart of the greatest inequities and give where we can effect the greatest change,” Melinda says. They have put billions of dollars into stopping some of the worlds deadliest diseases–including AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. They also work with failing public high schools in the U.S.

Despite her overwhelming success with the foundation, Melinda still yearns for peace away from the limelight. But she soon realized that she needed to set an example for her children, especially her older daughter. “I really want her to have a voice, whatever she chooses to do,” she says. “I need to role-model that for her. “As I thought about strong women of history, I realized that they stepped out in some way.” And with the success of the foundation and her never-ending hard work helping those who need it most, Melinda Gates is truly an inspiration.

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