Bill Gates has often said in his interviews that his children should only inherit a small part of his vast fortune.
Billionaire couple Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates left everyone surprised on Monday (May 3) when the duo announced on Twitter that they were getting divorced after 27 years of marriage. Bill and Melinda Gates, however, said that they will continue to work together at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The divorce announcement by Bill and Melinda shifted focus of everybody towards Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which had reported total net assets of USD 43.3 billion at the end of 2019.
Bill Gates, who is currently the fourth richest person in the world, has often said in his interviews that his children should only inherit a small part of his vast fortune.
Gates founded Microsoft with his friend Paul Allen and remained the company's CEO until 2000 but he decided to step down from a day-to-day role in Microsoft in 2008 and served as chairman of the board until 2014.
A statement released by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations said that Bill and Melinda Gates would remain co-chairs and trustees and the organisation would not witness any major changes. "They will continue to work together to shape and approve foundation strategies, advocate for the foundation's issues and set the organisation's overall direction," the statement said.
According to rpeorts, Bill and Melinda Gates own USD 130 billion worth of assets and the news of their divorce has sparked speculations over how the couple will divide the vast fortune.
It is to be noted that Bill Gates is the owner of approximately 1% of Microsoft. When Microsoft went public in 1986, Gates owned 49% of the software firm – becoming an instant millionaire.
In 2020, Gates decided to step down from the board of Microsoft to focus more on charity work and his foundation, which he co-chairs with Melinda.
Gates still makes money from Microsoft and he has also invested in several other ventures. Gates is also director for investment company Berkshire Hathaway.
Gates is also chairman of TerraPower, a nuclear reactor design company.
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