Bill Gates and Melinda have announced the end of their 27-year marriage.The Microsoft co-founder informed the world about the decision through the micro-blogging site Twitter. He posted, "After a lot of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.""We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation. But we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."
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According to reports, the couple has reached an agreement on how to share their assets.Dismissing speculation surrounding the fate of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the couple has reportedly clarified that the charitable trust's operations would continue.A Gates Foundation spokesman said that Bill and Melinda would continue to work together to shape and approve the foundation's strategies and set the organization's overall direction.
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Bill and Melinda got married in 1994 in Hawaii. They met after Melinda joined Microsoft as a product manager in 1987.Bill Gates is listed among the richest people in the world, with assets estimated to be worth $124 billion. He moved out of the day-to-day role in Microsoft in 2008 and served as chairman of the board until 2014. In 2020, Bill stepped down from Microsoft's board to focus on philanthropy.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -- launched in 2000 -- is among the world's biggest private philanthropic foundation with net assets of $43.3 billion at the end of 2019. According to reports, Bill and Melinda Gates have donated more than $36 billion to their foundation. According to Forbes, the foundation committed more than $350 million in 2020 to fund the development of Covid-19 diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.
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