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A joint statement posted on Twitter announced the Bill and Melinda Gates’ marriage ends after 27 years together.
The news fell like a bucket of cold water around one of the richest couples in the world, also bound by a long alliance, particularly in philanthropic matters, a commitment that is perpetuated both through their foundation.
“We made the decision after much thought and after doing a great job on our relationship,” said the statement released by the couple.
“For 27 years we raised three amazing children and built a foundation which works around the world to enable everyone to lead healthy and productive lives, ”added the two, aged 65 and 56 respectively, ensuring that they continue to work together on this commitment .
They met when Melinda was working as a marketing manager for Microsoft. Photo: Reuters
They then asked everyone to respect their space and privacy as they embark on a new life.
Little is known about the privacy of the Gates. Last year, Bill had resigned from Microsoft’s board of directors, precisely as the pandemic was raging, and was devoting almost all of his time to the activities of the foundation run with his wife since 2000.
They had met precisely at Microsoft, where Melinda worked as a marketing manager. Ann French – her maiden name – graduated from Duke University with a degree in computer science and economics. It is part of the newspaper directory The Washington Post.
A huge heritage
At the time of their meeting, Microsoft had a market capitalization of approximately $ 35 billion.
Twenty-seven years later, in January 2021, Gates’ wealth stood at $ 133 billion, number 4 in the billionaire ranking. That of his wife, meanwhile, to 70,000 million.
The remaining 1% of the shares the couple owns in Microsoft, moreover, is worth more than $ 7 billion, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation owns assets worth over $ 50 billion.
The details of the divorce are unclearBut the deal could be one of the biggest in history. When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Scott split in 2019, His deal was for $ 38 billion – a 4% stake in Amazon –. The deal made MacKenzie the third richest woman in the world.
Each of the Gates’ children will inherit $ 10 millionaccording to Bill, and the remainder of the fortune will go to charity.
The Gates have long said they will spend their fortunes on philanthropic causes, including through their foundation. In fact, they have already donated over $ 250 million to coronavirus response efforts since the pandemic began in March 2020.
With agency information.
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