After 27 years of marriage, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates filed to divorce on May 3, 2007. Three months later, a King County judge has finalized the divorce of one of the most powerful and wealthy couples in the world.According to court records, neither spouse will be changing their names or receiving spousal support. However, it is not clear how the vast fortune of Bill Gates will be divided. Washington is a state that is community property. This means that all assets acquired during marriage must be split equally in the event there is a divorce. The Gates divorce is happening under the auspices of a separation agreement, details of which are not known.Bill Gates currently ranks as the fourth-richest man in the world.Bloomberg's Billionaires Index shows that Bill Gates, who is worth $151 billion, is the fourth-richest man in the world. The divorce was finalized by a judge who stated that the contract was fair and just.Stories emerged about Gates inappropriate behavior at work after the announcement of his divorce earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft's board of directors recommended that Gates resign after an investigation into an affair he had with an employee. Gates quit the board of directors in 2020, before the investigation was complete. A spokesperson claimed that this had nothing to do the investigation. According to a spokesperson, there was an affair that occurred almost 20 years ago and it ended peacefully.According to reports, Microsoft board members were also interested in Gates' relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. According to The New York Times, Gates became friends with Epstein in 2011, three year after Epstein pleaded guilty in May to soliciting prostitution from children under 14. According to the Times, Ms. According to the Times, French Gates expressed discomfort at her husband's time with the sex offender. However, Mr. Gates continued to do so.The future of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the biggest unknowns after the divorce. It has just over $50 billion in assets and is reportedly the second-largest charitable foundation in the globe. The foundation is currently pursuing a two year trial period to determine if the former spouse can continue to work constructively together as trustees and co-chairs. Melinda French Gates will step down from the foundation if she does not.According to Mark Suzman, the foundations CEO, Melinda would be able to receive personal resources from Bill in such a situation. These resources would be separate from the foundations' endowment.After their divorcement announcement, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates donated an additional $15 billion to support the foundation. This will increase its total endowment to $65 billion.
