After 27 years of marriage and three children, the couple announced their divorce in May 2021 through a statement released on X:
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. 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 pair added. “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.” Their divorce was finalized three months later.
In May 2024, despite prior claims that the former couple would continue to oversee the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda announced her plans to step down as co-chair. The 60-year-old philanthropist revealed on X: “Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families.”
