Bill and Melinda Gates divorce: What will happen to their foundation | Daughter Jennifer comments on divorce on Instagram
Microsoft founder Bill Gates announced on Twitter on Monday that he and his wife Melinda have ended their 27-year marriage, but they will still join hands in charity work. Since Gates has been the world's richest man for many years, the distribution of husband and wife's property has also become the focus of attention.
Prior to 2000, Bill Gates had been the CEO of Microsoft Corporation. Since then, he has gradually reduced his job at Microsoft. Since July 2008, Gates no longer undertakes the daily work of Microsoft Corporation, but devotes more energy to work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 2014, Gates stepped down as chairman of the Microsoft board of directors. 1.37% of Microsoft shares are owned by Bill Gates, equivalent to more than $26 billion (P1 trillion). According to Forbes, Bill Gates is the fourth richest man in the world with a net worth of $124 billion (P5 trillion).
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000, is undoubtedly the most influential private foundation in the world. The Seattle-based foundation has 1,600 employees in offices around the world and donates approximately US$5 billion each year to areas such as global health and development.
The couple often commented on the global fight against the new crown epidemic, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spent more than $1 billion to fight the new coronavirus epidemic.
Bill and Melinda met at Microsoft. During that time Melinda was working as a marketing manager at the said software company. The two were married in Hawaii in 1994.
Their daughter Jennifer Gates wrote on Instagram that the whole family has gone through a challenging time.
“It’s been a challenging stretch of time for our whole family.”“I won’t personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me,” she said.
So far there are no clear details on what will happen to the projects and foundations built and started by the two. But according to Rob Reich, a professor of political science at Stanford University, said that because the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a "family foundation," their divorce may have a huge impact on the foundation and its work around the world.
Both Bill and Melinda Gates are now asking for space and privacy after they confirmed their divorce.
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