THE world was shocked to hear of Microsoft founder Bill Gates' divorce from wife Melinda in 2021.
The pair had been married since 1994, but they went their separate ways after 27 years of marriage. This is what we know about Melinda and what her net worth is.
What is Melinda Gates' net worth?
Melinda Gates was the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was founded in 2000.
On May 13, 2024, Melinda posted on X indicating that she will be resigning from the foundation as co-chair.
"This is not a decision I came to lightly," Melinda said.
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"I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world."
According to the foundation's website, she "shapes and approves strategies, reviews results, and sets the organization's overall direction. She works with grantees and partners to further the foundation's goals".
The company's chief executive, Mark Suzman, told employees that the former spouses agreed that Melinda would step down in the future.
He said in a message obtained by The New York Times: "They have agreed that if after two years either one of them decides that they cannot continue to work together, Melinda will resign as co-chair and trustee."
If that does happen, however, Melinda "would receive personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work," he confirmed.
The ex-wife of the Microsoft founder is worth $70 billion, according to Spear's.
Bill Gates said the couple decided to "end our marriage" after a "great deal of thought and a lot of work" - two years after the couple marked their 25th wedding anniversary and his wife admitted marital life was "really hard."
He noted that they had raised "three incredible children" and worked to help people worldwide.
Gates wrote: "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives."
How old is Melinda Gates?
Melinda was born August 15, 1964, in Dallas, Texas.
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Melinda and Bill were married on January 1, 1994, and were together 27 years before announcing their divorce in May 2021.
How did Melinda and Bill meet?
Bill met Melinda shortly after she joined Microsoft as a product manager in 1987.
The two met at a business dinner in New York City, and after a year of dating, it was reported that Bill had to make a pros and cons list about them getting married.
Bill said in the Netflix three-episode series Inside Bill's Brain: “You know, we cared a lot for each other and there were only two possibilities: either, we were going to break up or we were going to get married,”
“I took the idea of marriage very seriously.”
The couple eventually tied the knot in Lanai, Hawaii, when Gates was 38 and Melinda was 29.
She formalized the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 and the couple has forked out $45 billion addressing major global issues, like gender equality and poverty.
In 2019, after celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, Melinda told The Sunday Times that their marriage had been "incredibly hard" sometimes.
She said: “We’ve just gotten to a point in life where Bill and I can both laugh about more things."
During their 27 years together, they had three children.
The oldest, Jennifer, arrived on April 26, 1996.
She married equestrian Nayel Nassar on October 16, 2021, and was expecting her first child, a girl, at Christmas 2022.
She is studying medicine and loves horses and showjumping.
Son Rory was born on May 23, 1999, with youngest child Phoebe arriving on September 14, 2002.
Did Bill and Melinda Gates have a prenup?
Bill and Melinda's divorce documents revealed she filed for divorce after the marriage had "irretrievably broken".
It is believed the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, as the filing states that the only written agreement that relates to the divorce is the aforementioned separation contract.
At the time, their combined fortune was estimated at over $130 billion.
Bill and Melinda chair their non-profit organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable foundation.
They have donated over $45.5 billion to charitable causes over time, and in 2019 donated $589 million to charity.
The Gates’ are considered one of the world’s richest couples.
Melinda is believed to have received $6.3 billion in stock in the divorce settlement.
Forbes reported she had sold more than $1 billion worth of stock by April 2022.
