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 went there separate ways, confirmed by a Twitter post. This is what we know about Melinda and what her net worth is.
What is Melinda Gates' net worth?
Melinda Gates is the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 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.
"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," he said in a message obtained by the New York Times.
If that does happen, however, Melinda "would receive personal resources from Bill for her philanthropic work," he confirmed.
The soon-to-be ex-wife of the Microsoft founder is worth $70billion, 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 all over the world.
"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," Gates wrote.
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How old is Melinda Gates?
Melinda Gates was born August 15, 1964 in Dallas, Texas. She is 58 years old.
Melinda and Bill got married in 1994 and were together 27 years before announcing their divorce.
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 the getting married.
“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,” Bill said in the Netflix three-episode series "Inside Bill's Brain".
“I took the idea of marriage very seriously,” Bill said.
The couple eventually tied the knot in Lanai, Hawaii, when Gates was 38 and Melinda was 29, reported the Associated Press.
She formalized the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 and the couple has forked out $45billion 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.
“We’ve just gotten to a point in life where Bill and I can both laugh about more things," she said.
Do Bill and Melinda Gates have a prenup?
Bill and Melinda Gates reportedly signed a prenup.
Their combined fortune amasses over $130billion.
Bill and Melinda chair their non-profit organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is considered the world's largest private charitable foundation.
They have donated over $45.5billion to charitable causes over time, and in 2019 donated $589million to charity.
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The Gates’ are considered one of the world’s richest couples.
It is believed that Melinda could receive a multi-billion settlement from their finalized divorce.
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