World famous philanthropic couple Bill Gates and Melinda Gates declare they will divorce. After 27 years of marriage, the two decided to live separately.
With news of the second biggest divorce after the separation of Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott in 2019, it will certainly shake the world. Because both of them are influential figures against Covid-19. This farewell will also surprise the world of philanthropy, health and of course business.
“After a lot of thought and a lot of work on our relationship. We have made the decision to end our marriage,” the two said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Co-founder of Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates who is now 65 years old is the fourth richest person in the world. Meanwhile, 56-year-old Melinda Gates is a former Microsoft manager who has been a champion of global health and gender equality for women in her role in managing the foundation.
Despite their divorce, the two will continue to work together on the large philanthropic foundation they built to improve global health, fight climate change and support US education.
What’s the Total Bill Gates Price?
If the two of them divorce, then the world’s fourth largest fortune is at stake. Bill Gates has assets of US $ 145.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Gates’ wealth proved more complicated than Bezos’ wealth, which largely concentrated in Amazon.com Inc. stock.
Bill Gates’ net worth comes from Microsoft. But his stake in the software manufacturer may now be less than 20 percent of his assets. He transferred most of his shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over the years and his exact ownership has not been disclosed since he left Microsoft’s board of directors last year.
Gates’ greatest asset is Cascade Investments. A holding company he created with the proceeds from the sale of Microsoft stock and dividends run by Michael Larson. Through Cascade, Gates has interests in real estate, energy and hospitality as well as stakes in dozens of publicly traded companies, including Canada’s National Railroad and tractor maker, Deere & Co.
That philanthropy has always been deeply rooted in their relationships and marriages – the day before they got married in Hawaii, Bill’s mother, Mary Gates, who had tried to convince him to dramatically increase his charity, gave Melinda a closed letter. “Of those who are given a lot, much is expected.”
