Photo: Bill and Melinda Gates in 2017. FREDERIC STEVENS / GETTY
Bill Gates, 65, founder of Microsoft and one of the world's richest men, is to divorce his wife of 27 years, Melinda Gates, 56.
Court papers stated that the couple's marriage was 'irretrievably broken'.
The couple is among the most powerful in the world and have jointly ran the 'Bill & Melinda Gates fund' which seeks to eradicate poverty around the world. The couple have already said that they will continue to both work for the fund. The fund has thus far put over $50 billion into good causes.
The couple currently control assets worth $146 billion, and it is as of yet unclear how that will be split between them. If the money and wealth is split in half, it would make Melinda the richest woman in the world.
In a statement on twitter, the couple said:
"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. We have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives."
A spokesperson for the fund added:
"No changes to their roles or the organization are planned. They will continue to work together to shape and approve foundation strategies, advocate for the foundation's issues, and set the organization's overall direction."
While Gates made his money through Microsoft, only around 20% of his wealth is currently in the company. His largest investment is in Cascade Investment, a holding company he created with the proceeds of Microsoft stock sales and dividends. The investment fund controls real-estate and stocks.
This is the second recent high-profile divorce concerning one of the world's wealthiest people. In 2019, Jeff Bezos, the world's second richest man and founder of Amazon, divorced his wife MacKenzie Scott.
The divorce settlement made Scott one of the richest women in the world. She has also given away a substantial amount of the money she received through the settlement to good causes.
[h/t: Bloomberg]
COMMENTS