Listening to the media, one is led to believe that billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda have devoted much of their lives to helping others through their so-called [.]
When does an extremely normal event become global headline news, and when does a “historic achievement for humanity” fail to create much of a ripple in the news cycle? When the key players in both stories are high-profile philanthropists.
Just like almost half (44.6%) of their fellow US citizens, Bill and Melinda Gates’ marriage has ended in divorce. Unlike most people, the couple’s philanthropic efforts in global public health have saved and extended millions of lives. For example, they’re credited with helping eradicate most types of polio, a disease that caused a thousand children to be paralysed every day as recently as the 1980s. Philanthropy scholars were repeatedly asked to discuss the divorce announcement last week, but phones were remarkably silent after the polio announcement 18 months ago.
File photo: Philanthropist Melinda Gates attends an international conference on health in developing countries, in Oslo, Norway.
WASHINGTON: Cascade Investment, the holding company created by Bill Gates, transferred stock in two of Mexico’s largest companies to Melinda French Gates, bringing the total amount she’s received in the past few days to more than $2 billion.
Cascade moved stock worth more than $500 million in Coca-Cola Femsa and Grupo Televisa to her control, according to regulatory filings dated May 3, the same day the Gateses announced they were ending their 27-year marriage. Cascade shifted about $1.8 billion of shares in Canadian National Railway Co. and AutoNation Inc. this week to French Gates, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
›With $146 bn at stake, Bill Gates may not rank in the top richest person list after divorce
With $146 bn at stake, Bill Gates may not rank in the top richest person list after divorce
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With $146 bn at stake, Bill Gates may not rank in the top richest person list after divorceBy Dina Bass, Sophie Alexander & Devon Pendleton, Bloomberg
Last Updated: May 04, 2021, 12:04 PM IST
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Bill Gates ranks as the world’s fourth-richest person. Melinda Gates is a former Microsoft manager who’s gained international prominence co-running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Bill and Melinda Gates, who for decades have overseen one of history’s greatest fortunes and philanthropic operations, said they plan to divorce.
Bill And Melinda Gates End 27-Year Marriage After Great Deal Of Thought While the separation stands to shake up the rankings of the world s wealthiest people, the pair stressed it will have little impact on their philanthropic behemoth.
Updated: May 04, 2021 6:44 am IST
Bill and Melinda Gates met in New York in the 1980s, early into Melinda s time at Microsoft (File)
Highlights
They also ran the largest philanthropy operations on the planet
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, 65, is world s 4th-richest person
Bill and Melinda Gates said on Monday that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage. After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage, the two said in a statement posted on Twitter. 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.