The philanthropist talks leaving her foundation, giving away $1 billion, and life after divorce.
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00:00I don't really like the word empowering anymore.
00:02Empowering women, it's like we're giving them something.
00:05Women have their power.
00:07They have their power inside of them.
00:09So whether it's their voice, or their decision making,
00:12or if they control resources.
00:14And so it's really helping them find that power inside of them
00:18already.
00:31A lot of women are very angry about the Dobbs decision.
00:34And I wondered, are you?
00:36I wouldn't say I'm angry.
00:39I'm absolutely shocked, shocked and surprised.
00:44And I have found other things that I'm
00:48angry about at times in my work, particularly
00:51if I've been traveling to low income countries.
00:53But I always believe that you need to take the anger,
00:56whatever anger you are, tough emotion,
00:58and then fuel it into the work.
01:10With this billion dollar announcement
01:12I just recently made that'll go through Pivotal Ventures,
01:15I am absolutely focusing on organizations
01:19that I feel like have been having to play the defense,
01:21because we haven't put enough money into gender topics
01:25for a long time, to let them play on the offense.
01:28I believe in using every tool in my toolbox.
01:31So whether that's philanthropic money,
01:34whether that's private money I use
01:35for investing for social good, or whether it's
01:39using C4 money to do political giving.
01:41And I give specifically to candidates
01:44who I believe share similar values to me
01:47and are trying to move society forward in the same ways
01:50I believe in.
01:51Would you like to tell us who you're
01:52going to vote for this year?
01:54Well I think it's, again, I voted some,
01:59I voted in some elections Republican, some Democratic.
02:02I don't think it's any surprise that there's no chance
02:04I could vote for Donald Trump.
02:06Not a single chance.
02:07Not after what he has done to women's reproductive rights,
02:11and not after the heinous things he has said about women.
02:14So I will be voting absolutely for Biden.
02:19You're entering your 60s with kind of a whole new life.
02:23You're single, your children are out of the house
02:25and launched, you're no longer with the Gates Foundation.
02:29How does it feel?
02:31Energizing.
02:32I'm actually really excited about life ahead,
02:34and I don't think I fully know
02:37even what life is ahead all is about.
02:39I mean, I think things change for all of us, right?
02:42You know, every year things come along
02:43that you didn't expect, so I'm really energized.
02:46I know I have at least another good decade of work in me,
02:50and I think that the body of knowledge,
02:53hopefully some wisdom that I gained and learned
02:55from others along the way, that, you know,
02:57I'll keep learning and use all of that
02:59to build on whatever, what I already know,
03:02but then to hopefully contribute to the world.
03:04What would you say to regular people
03:06who want to do their part, who want to be helpful,
03:09who want to serve?
03:10What can they do that perhaps you can't?
03:13I would say to people, you have your time,
03:16you have your expertise,
03:18and if you have some resources, some money.
03:21It doesn't have to be a lot.
03:22You have no idea sometimes whether
03:25that random act of kindness will change somebody's life.
03:28Like something you say to maybe a teenager
03:31who's going through a tough time,
03:33or maybe you give your expertise to an organization
03:37that needs, if you're good at marketing
03:38or you're good at financial skills,
03:40they need those skills in their nonprofit.
03:43When I think about who's had influence on my life
03:45or I ask somebody else,
03:47they will often say a teacher, a coach, a parent.
03:53So those are all ways that we're all giving back.
03:56What would you do differently in the last 60 years?
04:00Well, what I would do differently
04:02is more really on a personal basis.
04:04It was not something about my work in any way,
04:07but I would tell the people that I love
04:11that I love them more often.
04:14What is your biggest indulgence?
04:17A Coke.
04:18Come on.
04:19No, seriously.
04:20I love a really good Coke over ice.
04:23Like I actually have, I don't keep very many in my house,
04:25but that's a huge indulgence.
04:27The other thing my kids would tell you
04:29is they just asked me recently, do you still do that, mom?
04:32I love growing up.
04:34It's like the memories, right?
04:35I love Hostess cupcakes,
04:37but I don't keep them in the house.
04:38I drive to the gas station to get them.
04:41Where do you even find Hostess cupcakes?
04:43Some gas stations still have them,
04:45but my daughter went to find me some recently
04:47and all she found were orange.
04:49I've never even had an orange Hostess cupcake.
04:50I didn't even know they existed.
04:52So now everybody knows what to get you
04:54for your 60th birthday. Chocolate.
04:55Chocolate cupcake.