Bill and Melinda Gates divorce could shake up philanthropy Follow Us
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By HALELUYA HADERO and GLENN GAMBOA - Associated Press - Tuesday, May 4, 2021
As much as Bill and Melinda Gates might want to keep their pending divorce private, the split between the billionaire co-founders of the world’s largest private foundation is sure to have very public consequences, with the breakup having already sent a wave of anxious uncertainty through the worlds of philanthropy and community health.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with an endowment of nearly $50 billion, donates about $5 billion annually to causes around the world. Last year, it donated $1 billion to combat COVID-19 through the administering of vaccines.
The billionaire couple filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage.
Billionaire benefactors Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world s largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce on Monday after 27 years of marriage but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.
Bill Gates, 65, who co-founded Microsoft Corp, and his spouse, Melinda French Gates, 56, in a joint petition, asserted their legal union was irretrievably broken, but said they had reached agreement on how to divide their marital assets. Their divorce will entail complex decisions about how to handle their wealth. Mr. Gates is ranked No. 4 on the Forbes list of the world s wealthiest individuals, with an estimated $124 billion fortune.
The Straits Times
The couple are seeking division of joint assets, according to a separation agreement they have reached.PHOTO: AFP
PublishedMay 4, 2021, 2:26 pm SGT
https://str.sg/Jtc9
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How Bill and Melinda Gates can split their US$146B fortune
Sophie Alexander and Ben Steverman, Bloomberg News
Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce VIDEO SIGN OUT
As a married couple, Bill and Melinda Gates promised to give away the vast majority of their fortune. Now that theyâre divorcing, US$146 billion could head in two different directions.
How that wealth is divvied up is set to shake up the uppermost ranks of the worldâs richest people and could have billion-dollar implications on what philanthropic causes get attention.
In announcing the split, the couple promised they will both remain involved in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has contributed vast sums to the realms of global health, climate change policy and social issues. But the US$50 billion operation with billions more still to be given depends on the cooperation of two exes.
BILL’S ‘ARRANGEMENT’
Bill Gates took yearly getaways with ex Ann Winblad while married and had pic of her in office, 1997 article reveals
Updated: 16:06 ET, May 4 2021
BILL and Melinda Gates agreed that he could enjoy yearly getaways with his ex-girlfriend, whose picture he kept in his office, a 1997 article revealed.
Bill, 65, and venture capitalist Ann Winblad, 70, dated in the eighties and broke up once he met Melinda in 1987 – but an interview in the late nineties indicated that their friendship continued after the split.
Read our Bill Gates live blog for the very latest news and updates.
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Bill, 65, split up with Winblad when he met Melinda in 1987Credit: Getty