Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates, have announced plans to divorce after 27 years of marriage.
Announcing this on Twitter on Monday, the couple said they will however keep working together on philanthropic efforts in areas of education, gender equality and health care.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.
“Over the last 27 years, 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. 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 space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life,” the couple wrote.
Consequentially, the decision reflects a personal change at the top of American business.
Bill led Microsoft as CEO from its founding with Paul Allen in 1975 until 2000, leaving Steve Ballmer to run the company, while he became chairman and chief software architect.
In 2008 Bill gave up his day-to-day role at the company to spend more time on the non-profit Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Last year, he stepped down from Microsoft’s board as the coronavirus became a force around the world. He began spending more time on the foundation alongside Melinda Gates. The two are co-chairs and trustees of the foundation, which launched in 2000.
Bill is currently the world’s fourth richest person, behind Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, LVMH’s Bernard Arnault and Tesla’s Elon Musk, according to Forbes.
The divorce announcement comes two years after Bezos divorced his wife, MacKenzie.
