After being married for 27 years, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda French Gates are officially divorced. The two first announced their divorce three months ago, and it was approved by a judge in King County Superior, Washington, Monday (2/8).
The state of Washington, where they both live, requires couples to wait 90 days between filing for divorce in court and its settlement.
Both Bill and Melinda will support each other, and also Melinda will not change her last name. The judge also ordered Bill and Melinda to divide their property and wealth based on the agreed separation contract, as quoted from Cnet, Tuesday (3/8/2021).
Bill Gates and Melinda were married in Hawaii, USA in 1994 and now they have three children. In 2000, the two founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which is one of the largest charitable foundations in the world.
The assets of the two reach USD 124 billion, including a 6,100-square-foot luxury home on the shores of Lake Washington, Seattle. The price of the house is in the range of USD 150 million.
Bill Gates himself is now the fourth richest man in the world with a fortune of USD152 billion, according to Bloomberg Millionaire Index data.
News of Bill and Melinda’s divorce shocked the public, as the two have always been seen working together at the foundation. But after the announcement of the divorce, news of their second breakup over the past few years immediately surfaced.
For example, a report from The Wall Street Journal that said Bill Gates had an affair 20 years ago, and a report by The New York Times that said the 65-year-old man had approached a female employee working at Microsoft and Bill and Foundation Melinda Gates.
Melinda French Gates also expressed concern about her husband’s close relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations of abuse against Bill’s financial manager, Michael Larson.
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