Bill Gates announces divorce; Microsoft co-founder and Melinda Gates reportedly has no prenup

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, announced on Monday, May 3, that he and his wife, Melinda Gates, have ended their 27-year marriage. The ex-couple made a joint announcement about their divorce via social media.

Gates couple issued a statement about their divorce

The pair simply explained that they think they can no longer grow together. They also said that it was not a rushed choice, but they have thought a lot about the separation before making the final decision.

Then again, despite going their separate ways, Melinda and Bill Gates revealed they will continue to work together on the foundation they have jointly built. They will still be involved in the charity initiatives that they have started to help people around the world.

“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the former husband and wife said in a joint statement. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and build 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.”

Melinda and Bill Gates also made a request for privacy and to give their family some space as they all move forward and start the next phase of their respective lives. There was no specific mention of any issues with their marriage, but it appears that the two are separating amicably.

Bill and Melinda have no prenup

Fox Business reported that Bill Gates and his wife may not have signed any pre-nuptial agreement before they tied the knot. And because of this, the talks about the split of their assets have been brought up.

This is just another case of high-profile divorce of a very wealthy couple, so the public has so much interest in the financial implications of the Gates’ divorce. Speculations have also emerged, especially because it was reported that they have no prenup.

In their court filing, there was no mention of anything else aside from the separation agreement that state Melinda Gates will not request spousal support. Still, many think the stakes are high in this separation as Forbes stated that Bill Gates has a net worth of more or less $130.5 billion. Meanwhile, Fox Business tried to reach out to the Gates couple for comments but did not get an immediate reply.