Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, and his wife Melinda French Gates have announced they are ending their marriage after 27 years.
But the couple, who agreed to give away more than half their wealth, will keep working together on charitable efforts at their foundation.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple said in a joint statement tweeted by bill Gates on Monday.
“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 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 couple have re-invested a considerable amount of their wealth into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has sought to enhance healthcare and reduce poverty around the world.
Last year Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to spend more time on the foundation’s project alongside Melinda Gates. The two are co-chairs and trustees of the foundation, which was launched in 2000.
Bill and Melinda Gates met at Microsoft in 1987 and the two got married in 1994.
The announcement has shocked many around the world, fuelling a deluge of hilarious reactions on the Internet.
- Here’s Some of the Reactions
https://twitter.com/BarjaaF/status/1389482431883927553?s=19
https://twitter.com/Adriaan_VanderM/status/1389473622142689280?s=19
