Upon learning the shocking news that the ultimate power couple Bill and Melinda Gates are calling it quits after 27 years of marriage, many couldn’t help but wonder what the high profile split would mean for the future of their foundation — a non-profit organization whose mission is “fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world,” per its official website.
Alas, it appears the masses can rest easy. According to a joint statement issued by the couple, the pair vowed to continue working together to serve the foundation. “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 the next phase of our lives,” they penned in the joint statement via Twitter.
But what does the divorce mean for philanthropist Melinda Gates, the woman behind the famous foundation? While it’s widely reported that her husband is worth a staggering $130.5 billion, what portion of that rightfully belongs to Melinda? (It’s certainly no secret that she has played an integral role in amassing such a fortune.) Keep reading after the jump to find out!
Bill and Melinda Gates reportedly do not have a prenuptial agreement
Before anyone sheds a tear for Melinda Gates, rest assured, it appears the former Microsoft bigwig should be just fine — and perhaps worth a cool $65 billion (half of her husband’s reported net worth) once the dust settles and the ink is dry on her impending divorce to Microsoft tycoon, Bill Gates.
As reported by TMZ, divorce documents filed by Melinda indicate that the couple does not have a prenuptial agreement. Anyone else getting major Jeff Bezos divorce vibes? Yeah, us too — minus all of the scandal, of course.
It’s also reported that the divorce documents, filed by Melinda, note the reason for the divorce was due to the state of the marriage being “irretrievably broken.” It doesn’t appear there should be any conflict about the date of the dissolution of the union either, as the court documents request that the presiding judge rule the marriage ending “as of the date in the separation contract.” While the separation contract was not included in the documents, one can only assume that both parties agreed to the contract prior to the divorce filing. It should also be noted that Melinda is not asking for spousal support. No shocker there. Who needs spousal support when you could be sitting on $65 billion?
We wish Bill and Melinda all of the best!
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