Bill Gates ex-wife, Melinda Gates and new boyfriend Philip Vaughn enjoy romantic NYC date night

Melinda French Gates and her new boyfriend, Philip Vaughn, enjoyed a cozy evening out in New York City shortly after making their whirlwind romance public.

The former wife of billionaire Bill Gates looked happy as she and the entrepreneur headed out for dinner at Le Bernardin in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday as reported by Page Six.

Courtesy: Probe-Media for PageSix.com

The couple was photographed taking an SUV to the French restaurant, with Vaughn assisting Melinda as she got into the vehicle.

Courtesy: Probe-Media for PageSix.com

Upon arriving, they walked hand-in-hand, engaging in light conversation along the way.

Melinda, 60, wore a black maxi dress paired with a silver necklace, while Vaughn opted for a black suit and white button-up shirt for the occasion.

Their date night followed just hours after they made their relationship official by arriving in New York City via helicopter on Wednesday morning.

Exclusive photos obtained by Page Six captured the philanthropist holding hands with her new partner as they headed to an SUV.

According to Vaughn’s LinkedIn profile, he previously worked at Microsoft, the company co-founded by Melinda’s ex-husband, Bill, for nearly nine years between 1999 and 2008.

The entrepreneur is now the founder and chairman of Tavour, a craft beer delivery service he launched in 2011.

This new relationship comes three years after Melinda finalized her divorce from Bill, 69, ending their 27-year marriage.

The mother of three had previously opened up about her split from the billionaire, sharing that his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was one of the “many things” that led to their separation.

“I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him,” she told “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King in 2022.

Melinda further explained that she met Epstein “exactly one time” out of curiosity but “regretted it the second [she] walked in the door.”

“He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. My heart breaks for these women,” she said of the pedophile, who died by suicide in prison in 2019.

She also referenced Bill’s alleged affair with a Microsoft employee in 2019 as another factor in their separation.