The household must have felt like a melting pot of emotions. It came to a point where Melinda Gates fled to a US$132,000-a-night private Caribbean island with her children to hide away from the media, while dad Bill Gates holed up in his members-only California Golf resort.

The children were reportedly furious with their father. Jennifer, however, made it known that she is not one to take sides, and put rumour mills to rest by posting a photograph with her billionaire dad on her Instagram Story. She wrote: “Nothing better than quality time with family members.”

Jennifer and her mum

Jennifer appears closest to her mother Melinda, and she doesn’t waste an opportunity to let the world, and her dearest mum, know that. Her mother, one of the most influential and exceptional women globally, has been her champion and hero since childhood. Despite quitting her role at Microsoft to look after and raise her children, she focused on raising Jennifer and her siblings along with her philanthropic endeavours.

Jennifer posted a sweet birthday tribute to her mother on her 57th, calling her a “one-of-a-kind mum, woman and hero”. The avid reader showed her support for her mum in her book recommendations too. She posted: “Year 22 of life is over, and I’m so grateful for all I’ve learned. Among other things, reading has continued to be a huge hobby that keeps me grounded and teaches me about new parts of the world and different perspectives. Also, there’s nothing better than losing track of time and devouring a good book.”

She recommended her top five books out of 40 that she read but not without adding, “needless to say, #momentoflift by my amazing mama @melindafrenchgates is pretty incredible too”.

Melinda has always been her rock-solid support system and is actively involved in her life. From throwing her daughter a magical bridal shower to helping her get ready for the big day, Melinda has really been there for Jennifer. “Jennifer is very close with her mum,” a source told People. “Melinda is a huge part of the wedding preparations.”

Jennifer and her dad

Although Melinda is her champion, Bill holds a special place in her heart, as does she in his. Bill’s firstborn is the apple of his eye. He often shares throwback images from when the children were younger on his Instagram feed. He has instilled the habit of reading in all three of his children, and he takes Jennifer’s book recommendations rather seriously.

Bill posted on his Instagram: “Our family loves reading together and sharing book recommendations with each other. My daughter @JenniferKGates recommended two books – An American Marriage and Why We Sleep – that I enjoyed so much I added them to my holiday reading list.”

In 2016, Bill bought an entire street in Wellington, Florida, recognised as “the equestrian capital in the world”, for US$37 million to support Jennifer’s equestrian goals. Recently, Jennifer shared a new photo in honour of the Microsoft billionaire’s 66th birthday. The picture shows an awed father, gift in hand, admiring the beautiful bride. The smile on his face is full of pride, happiness and contentment.

Jennifer wrote: “Happy happy 66th @thisisbillgates. Grateful to learn from your example of endless curiosity, constant exploration and desire to help humanity. Excited to hear about what you learn in this next turn around the sun. Thank you for your support of our union and dream day recently – these memories will last a lifetime.”