Bill Gates announces he’s getting divorced – here’s how the internet reacted

Bill Gates and Melinda Gates are divorcing, but insist they’ll remain close and continue to work on their charitable foundation.

The couple posted identical tweets on Monday saying they had made the decision to end their marriage of 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,” they said in a statement. “We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”

The couple were married in 1994 in Hawaii. They met after she began working at Microsoft as a product manager in 1987.

She won Gates’ heart after meeting at a work dinner, where she beat him at a math game.

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Last year, Gates, formerly the world’s richest person, said he was stepping down from Microsoft’s board to focus on philanthropy.

The couple will be the second high-profile Seattle-area billionaire couple to end their marriage in recent years. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos finalized their divorce in 2019. MacKenzie Scott received a 4 per cent stake in Amazon, worth more than $36 billion, and has since remarried.

Folks on Twitter naturally had a lot to say. Here are some of the best reactions and viral comments so far on what is set to be one of the biggest divorces in history.

The first pounced on the likely financial hit the billionaire is about to take...

One person felt pretty downcast that it had all fallen apart, despite the financial advantage.

A nod, here, to Chet Hanks’ meme-worthy promise that we are approaching ‘White Guy Summer.’

He joins the billionaire divorced-guy club.

We can’t quite picture this...

If he hits the dating scene, Mr Windows can’t use ultra-exclusive app Raya...

Still, there is always Tinder.

We’ll never forget the iconic Windows sounds.

Some people were just genuinely upset...

Others were considering their options.

The settlement is likely going to be complex, and huge. Expect a legal payday for someone.

Conspiracy theorists are bound to have thoughts.

One person marvelled at just how quickly Gates’ fortune could bounce back post-divorce.

The AP contributed to this report.