Microsoft founder Bill Gates and wife Melinda Gates announce divorce after 27 years of marriage
Bill and Melinda Gates have announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage, saying “we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple”. “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the pair tweeted.
The Gates – along with investor Warren Buffett – are behind the Giving Pledge, which calls on billionaires to commit to giving away the majority of their wealth to good causes.
Bill Gates, the 65-year-old co-founder of Microsoft Corp., ranks as the world’s fourth-richest person. Melinda Gates, 56, is a former Microsoft manager who’s gained international prominence co-running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It’s already given away more than $50 billion.
The pair, who command an estimated $US146 billion ($189 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, made no public hint of their financial plans, though they emphasised that they would cooperate on continuing their philanthropy.
