Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have always looked to the rest of the world as the Mazda of married couples: unglamorous, but dependable and unlikely to break down. So almost everyone was taken aback when they declared on May 3 that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage because they “no longer think [they] will grow together.”
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, a businessman, created the Giving Pledge, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their money to charitable causes.
According to Forbes, Bill Gates, 65, is the world’s fourth richest individual, worth $124 billion (£89 billion).
He made his money through Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, which he co-founded in the 1970s.
The couple announced their divorce on Twitter in a joint statement.
“We have raised three beautiful children and established a foundation that works around the world to inspire all people to live healthy, meaningful lives,” according to the statement.
“We really believe in that mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we don’t think we’ll be able to develop as a couple in the next stage of our lives.”
“As we begin to navigate this new life, we ask for room and privacy for our families.”
Mr. and Mrs. Gates have been dominant forces on the global stage for decades, thanks to their enormous charitable donations, which have given them access to the highest levels of government, industry, and the nonprofit sector. With a $50 billion endowment, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has had a huge impact on fields like public health and early childhood education.
and has made significant progress in eliminating malaria and other infectious disease-related deaths. The couple has been particularly noticeable in the last year, speaking on the global battle against Covid-19 on a regular basis as their foundation spent more than $1 billion to tackle the pandemic.
“After much thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” Mr. and Mrs. Gates said in a statement on Twitter.