After 27 years of marriage, venture philanthropist leaders Bill and Melinda Gates are getting divorced.
In a joint statement released on their personal Twitter accounts on Monday, the former couple said they “no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.” Given that, they will still continue to work together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has donated about $50 billion to charity initiatives across the globe since the start of the century.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the statement read. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and build a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, 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.”
The Microsoft co-founder met Melinda French after she started working at the tech company in 1987. The two tied the knot on Jan. 1, 1994, and raised three children together. While Bill Gates is currently the fourth-richest person in the world with a net worth of $130.5 billion, Melinda was listed as No. 5 on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women in 2020.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021