It's obvious from the insane popularity of Bravo's Real Housewives franchise that people
are totally obsessed with the lives of wealthy wives.
"I'm an enigma, wrapped in a riddle — and cash"
But the richest of the rich don't have time for reality TV.
They've got things to do: like run a multi-million dollar company, solve global poverty, and
remind the President to put his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Here's a look at the boss-ladies behind the cash.
Melinda Gates
She's best known as the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Although her hubby is worth a whopping $87.2 billion, the couple has worked tirelessly
to fight global poverty.
In 2012, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation pledged $560 million toward providing contraceptives
for women in third world countries.
She explained on the Ted stage, quote, "we used to have consensus in the United States
around contraceptives…"
"We got back to that global consensus and actually raised $2.6 billion around exactly
this issue.
For women."
But did you know that Bill was originally Melinda's boss?
Apparently, Bill caught up with her in the company parking lot and asked her out:
"He said well would you go out with me like two weeks from friday night and I was like
'Two weeks from Friday night?
Who knows their calendar that far out?'"
Needless to say, he revamped his strategy, and the two went on a date.
Seven years later, they tied the knot.
Dasha Zhukova
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who's now worth $8.9 billion, met Dasha Zhukova,
the daughter of a Russian oligarch at her dad's New Year's Eve party in 2005, when she
was just 25.
At the time, she was dating a tennis star, and Abramovich was married to his second wife.
But the stars aligned, and Dasha and Roman went on to have two children together, secretly
marrying in 2008.
Zhukova is the founder of Garage magazine, which was recently acquired by VICE media.
In her mid thirties, she's now a major media mogul in her own right.
And, speaking of media…
Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg, the creator and founder of Facebook, met Priscilla Chan in the line for
the bathroom at a Harvard frat party.
She told NBC:
"I thought he was this interesting guy who really wasn't that studious."
"On our first date he told me he'd rather go on a date with me rather than finish his
take home midterm.
And the Type A first-child in my was appalled.
The two dated for nine years before getting hitched in 2012.
Zuckerberg announced the nuptials through a Facebook life event, of course, leading
many to wonder just who landed the founder of Facebook, who was worth $62.7 billion?
Chan, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, graduated from medical school at the University
of California at San Francisco.
She is a pediatrician, and speaks three languages: English, Cantonese, and Spanish.
But you know who really has it all?
Mackenzie Bezos
As an aspiring writer, Mackenzie Bezos was looking for a day job in the early nineties
at a hedge fund in New York City — and Jeff Bezos interviewed her.
She landed the gig, but was interested in more than a work relationship, saying, "My
office was next door to his, and all day long I listened to that fabulous laugh.
How could you not fall in love with that laugh?"
"Ha.
Ha.
Ha."
After dating for three months, the two married in 1993, and the couple moved to Seattle,
where Jeff founded a little startup company called Amazon.com.
Today, according to Forbes, Jeff is worth $80 billion.
Together, the two are parents to four children, and Mackenzie is the author of two novels.
When asked if she thought Amazon was destroying the publishing industry, she told Vogue, "Not
at all.
I think Amazon has been great for readers."
Not a surprise, considering she has her cake — and eats it too, telling Charlie Rose:
"He wanted to..um.. sell books over the internet.
At the start it was exactly that."
Jerry Hall
Model Jerry Hall is best known as the former partner of Mick Jagger and mother to their
four children.
After years of Jagger's rumored infidelity, the pair split in 1999.
In 2015, Hall began dating business magnate Rupert Murdoch, worth an estimated $13 billion.
A year later, they were married.
It was Murdoch's third marriage at the age of 84, and Hall was 59.
But it wasn't a marriage for money — Hall's divorce settlement from Jagger reportedly
clocked in at $40 million.
"I do sometimes pinch myself still because I've led such a wonderful life."
But not every marriage ends happily ever after...
Laurene Powell
After Steve Jobs' death in 2011, his widow Laurene became one of the four richest women
and fifty wealthiest people on earth, with $14.1 billion in assets and shares.
Laurene met Steve when she was pursuing her MBA degree at Stanford, when Jobs had come
for a speaking engagement.
Like Jobs, she was a vegetarian and former investment banker.
After a year of dating, the two were married in a Buddhist ceremony at Yosemite National
Park.
According to Forbes, Laurene's total net worth is just over $20 billion dollars, thanks to
her work with Emerson Collective and College Track.
In September 2015, she made a $50 million donation to XQ: The Super School Project,
which showcases a competition to redevelop high school curriculum.
It's clear she puts her money where her mouth is.
"Truly seeing an individual and listening to them and believing in them changes their
lives."
Lucy Southworth
In 2007, Google co-founder Larry Page, who's worth $44 billion, married research scientist
Doctor Lucy Southworth.
The pair met at Stanford University, where Lucy was studying to get her Ph.D. in biomedical
informatics.
The two married on Necker Island in the Caribbean, an island owned by British mogul Richard Branson.
Since their wedding, the couple have welcomed two children, and Lucy remains very involved
in the family's philanthropic work.
In 2014, Larry announced on his Google+ page that he and Lucy had donated $15 million to
fight Ebola through a series of nonprofits.
Melania Trump
A former model who would one day become the first lady, Melania Knaudrss met Donald Trump
in 1998 at the Kit Kat Club in New York — when she was 26, and he was 52.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Donald and Melania.
They split up in 1998, and again in 2000.
Melania later said they were apart for a few months, suggesting that the reason they broke
up was because Trump was weighing a presidential run.
In 2004, Trump proposed with a $1.5 million dollar ring at the Met Costume Gala, and they
were married in 2005 in Palm Beach.
Though Donald Trump is the least wealthiest person on this list, worth about $3.5 billion
dollars, he was elected as the 45th President of the United States.
These days, Melania has adapted to her husband's lifestyle.
For instance, like Trump, she doesn't drink alcohol, and she promises that White House
life won't change her, telling CBS:
"I'm very strong and I'm tough and confident and I believe in myself and I will do what's
right to what feels to my heart."
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