Bill Gates once admitted that he still goes on vacations with his ex-girlfriend – even after marrying Melinda.

His unusual extramarital vacations resurfaced online after news of his split from wife Melinda. In a joint announcement on Monday, May 3, the Microsoft founder, and Melinda shared that they were ending their marriage after 27 years.

Speculation over the pair's relationship has been rife in the wake of their separation - however, it appears that this one came straight from the horse's mouth.

As per a 1997 interview with Time magazine, Gates - who had been married to Melinda for three years at that point - talked about his special relationship with a particularly important lady in his life - his ex-girlfriend.

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In fact, according to the 65-year-old tech mogul, he even had an "arrangement" with his wife that he and his ex Ann Winblad, 70, would continue their annual vacations.

It had long been a tradition for the former partners to spend a spring weekend together at her beach cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The mini-trip would see them riding dune buggies, hang-gliding, and walking on the beach.

"We can play putt-putt while discussing biotechnology," Gates told the publication, with Winblad adding: "We share our thoughts about the world and ourselves.

"And we marvel about how, as two young overachievers, we began a great adventure on the fringes of a little-known industry and it landed us at the center of an amazing universe."

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As it turns out Gates and Winblad's relationship is a lot more than just fun-filled weekends away - the billionaire business magnate even trusts her with important decisions.

According to Time, he even sought out Winblad's approval before tying the knot with Melinda.

He recalled: "When I was off on my own thinking about marrying Melinda. I called Ann and asked for her approval."

And needless to say, Winblad gave her approval telling the publication years later: "I said she'd be a good match for him because she had intellectual stamina."

The pair ended their relationship in 1987 after it was reported by NY Post that Winblad wanted to settle down, having been five years older than Gates.

Earlier this week, Gates and Melinda announced their own separation on Twitter, writing in a statement: "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage."

Featured image credit: GARY DOAK/Alamy

Bill Gates enjoyed vacations with ex-girlfriend while married to wife Melinda