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The two will retain joint custody of their philanthropic organization.

As the founder and former CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates is one of the wealthiest men the world, with his investments in the company alone exceeding $20 billion in valuation. After moving his focus away from Microsoft in 2008, he turned his focus more toward the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic organization he runs alongside his wife, Melinda, which has doled out over $55 billion in grants. However, a new wrinkle has developed that may make running the organization a little more complicated: divorce.


In an announcement on his personal Twitter, Bill Gates said that after much deliberation, he and Melinda Gates have decided to divorce after 27 years of marriage.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Both Bill and Melinda Gates will continue to run the foundation jointly as it continues its efforts to support environmental issues, healthcare issues, technological development, and more. However, there’s a more pressing matter at hand: the problem of Bill Gates’ net worth. Details have not yet been divulged as to how, exactly, the Gates’ finances will be divided up, though experts believe it will proceed in a similar manner to the divorce of Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott.