Bill and Melinda Gates Are Divorcing, but Will Remain United on Charity Work

After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda Gates are divorcing. The couple, who rank as two of the richest people in the world, made the announcement via Bill Gates' official Twitter on Monday afternoon.

“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," the duo wrote, going on to acknowledge their "three incredible children" and charity work under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "We no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives," the announcement concludes.

The news raises questions about the future of the Gates fortune, as well the fate of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic forces in the world. The couple stated that they will continue their work together on the foundation, though it's unclear how exactly that will play out. The charity provided a statement to The New York Times specifying that "no changes" are expected. Still, the divorce announcement could have repercussions for the foundation and its outsize influence.

According the Times, the Gates are believed to have a pre-nup. Thanks to his status as a Microsoft co-founder, Bill is worth an estimated $130 billion USD. It's currently unclear if Melinda will receive a portion of her ex-husband's Microsoft holdings. The situation has prompted comparisons to Jeff Bezos' divorce from MacKenzie Scott, who ultimately received Amazon shares worth $36 billion USD.

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