Bill and Melinda Gates are divorcing after 27 years of marriage
Photo by Dan G/CC BY 2.0
May 7, 2021
In a statement on Monday, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they are getting a divorce after 27 years of marriage.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021
The statement said, “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.”
The couple founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation together in 2000. Guided by their belief that every life has equal value, the foundation works to improve people’s health and give them a more productive life. In developing countries, it focuses on giving people the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. The foundation has spent $53.8 billion on initiatives related to global health.
In relation to the foundation, the couple stated, “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.”
The pair has asked for “space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life,” in a final statement on Monday.
