Bill and Melinda Gates, two of the world’s highest-profile philanthropists, are divorcing.
The former Microsoft CEO said Monday on Twitter that he and Melinda, 56, “made the decision to end our marriage.” He said that over the past 27 years, he and Melinda “have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.”
In 2000, the two created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which over 20 years later has evolved into one of the world’s biggest nonprofits, investing billions of dollars in programs to alleviate poverty and enhance health care, including combating COVID-19.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue to work at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives,” Gates, 65, said. “We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”
Most recently, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the World Health Organization and others, debuted a fundraising campaign intended to help expand worldwide access to COVID-19 vaccinations.
The couple’s combined fortune is estimated to be worth $145.8 billion, according to Bloomberg News.
In 2020, Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board, formally ending ties with the company he cofounded in 1975 with the late Paul Allen.