In a tweet on Tuesday, Bill Gates announced that he and his wife, Melinda Gates, are separating after 27 years. The financial implications are unclear, but will continue working together at the Gates foundation, said Microsoft co-founder and former CEO.
After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead health, productive lives. We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life," a joint statement released by Melinda and Bill Gates read.
Bill and Melinda Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates met at Microsoft. Melinda had been a marketing manager at Microsoft and the couple got married in Huawei in 1994 after Bill had listed the pros and cons of getting married on a whiteboard, Melinda had said in a documentary series.
The couple created the Giving Pledge, a movement of philanthropists who commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.
The financial implications
The joint statement announcing their separation doesn't reveal the financial implications of the Gates separating. Bill Gates holds 1.37 percent of Microsoft's outstanding shares, which are worth more than $26 billion. He stepped down from the company's board last year and started spending more time on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the COVID-19 pandemic struct the world. The foundation has over $51 billion in assets, CNBC reported.
