Bill Gates, Wife Melinda Announce They're Getting Divorced after 27 Years
- Bill and Melinda Gates said their decision was made after putting a lot of work into their relationship
- The two promised to continue working on their foundation together
- The former couple said they no longer believe that they can grow as a family
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One of the world's richest men, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, has announced that they are working on getting a divorce.
Source: Getty Images
The two have been together for 27 years but no longer believe that they can grow together as a couple.
In a joint statement released on their personal social media account, the former couple noted their decision was made after "a great deal of thought" and putting a lot of work into their relationship.
The two said they have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that enables people worldwide to lead a healthy and productive life.
They promised to continue working together in the foundation but felt they would not work out as a couple.
Bill and Melinda noted the reason was they "no longer believe we can grow together as a couple" in the next phase of their lives.
The two asked for space and privacy as they begin to navigate their new life.
Bill is in the top five list of the richest people in the world, and he is reportedly currently worth around KSh 14 trillion.
Not a lot was known about the two having wrangles in their marriage, and the news came as a shock to many.
The 65-year-old met Melinda after she joined the Microsoft Company in 1987 and got married way back in 1994 in Hawaii.
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott
Another A list billionaire ex-couple that shocked the world with news about their divorce a couple of years back is the world's richest man Jeff Bezos and ex-wife MacKenzie Scott.
Just like Gates and Melinda, the two said they had a wonderful time together and expressed optimism to continue working as a family and cherished friends.
As a result of the divorce settlement, Scott received around $38 billion worth in Amazon shares, making her the richest woman on earth.
The large sum saw her surpass the previous record holder, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, an heiress who owns and controls 33.3% of the world's largest cosmetic company L'oreal. Scott quickly remarried barely two years after kissing her marriage to Jeff goodbye.
The philanthropist settled with a school teacher named Dan Jewett just a few months back.
Dan happens to be a science teacher at the luxurious school Mackenzie’s children attend.
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Source: Briefly News
Maryn Blignaut (Human-Interest HOD) Maryn Blignaut is the Human Interest manager and feature writer. She holds a BA degree in Communication Science, which she obtained from the University of South Africa in 2016. She joined the Briefly - South African News team shortly after graduating and has over six years of experience in the journalism field. Maryn passed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (Google News Initiative), as well as a set of trainings for journalists by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at: maryn.blignaut@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
