Bill and Melinda Gates have announced they’re getting divorced after 27 years together. Cue the sound of a Microsoft computer shutting down.
The Microsoft co-founder announced the news via his Twitter account, with the note signed off from the both of them. The pair originally met at a Microsoft work dinner, where Melinda beat Bill at a maths game. They married in Hawaii in 1994.
The statement read: “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 healthy, productive lives.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021
Bill co-founded the Microsoft company in 1975 with Paul Allen; Bill was the CEO of the tech company until 2000. He worked in a day-to-day role up to 2008, after which he transitioned out of it. Bill stepped down as chairman of the board in 2014, and last year he stepped down entirely from Microsoft’s board to focus on philanthropy.
Melinda worked for a decade at Microsoft, starting her career there. She boasts degrees in computer science and economics, and she has also earned her MBA. Similarly to Bill, she left the company to focus on philanthropic work — and her family.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent USD$53.8 billion in philanthropic projects since 2000 (AUD$69.3 billion). According to ABC News, the financial details of the decision to divorce were not “immediately clear.”
Bill Gates is currently the world’s fourth-richest person, currently worth $124 billion according to Forbes.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.