The Conversation (0)
Indy100 Staff
May 03, 2021
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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.”
https://t.co/padmHSgWGc— Bill Gates (@Bill Gates) 1620073819
https://t.co/fCVHDlZbvq— Melinda French Gates (@Melinda French Gates) 1620073816
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...
Bill Gates was afraid Liz Warren would take all his money. Now it looks like Melinda Gates is gonna do that instead.— Victoria Brownworth (@Victoria Brownworth) 1620077227
One person felt pretty downcast that it had all fallen apart, despite the financial advantage.
If Bill Gates got all that money and still can't make it work, tf ya'll expect outta the rest of us? lmaoooo— EE »★« (@EE »★«) 1620077319
A nod, here, to Chet Hanks’ meme-worthy promise that we are approaching ‘White Guy Summer.’
Bill Gates about to have the greatest White Boy Summer ever— Eliot Lang Syne (@Eliot Lang Syne) 1620076631
He joins the billionaire divorced-guy club.
Bill Gates looking at Jeff Bezos after the divorce with Melinda Gates. https://t.co/dvdDEe7TWf— Soham Naskar (@Soham Naskar) 1620076998
We can’t quite picture this...
Bill Gates on Ibiza Weekender incoming https://t.co/1fcOMhVQAc— Ciarán Carlin (@Ciarán Carlin) 1620076748
If he hits the dating scene, Mr Windows can’t use ultra-exclusive app Raya...
bill gates can't even use Raya its iPhone only— Astead (@Astead) 1620077141
Bill Gates has been out of the game so long this is how he’s going to flirt https://t.co/SCkAu2tEFD— Parker (@Parker) 1620118372
Still, there is always Tinder.
Welcome back Bill! #BillGates https://t.co/8QVTzn5kks— Guy With The Digger At Suez Canal (@Guy With The Digger At Suez Canal) 1620116486
We’ll never forget the iconic Windows sounds.
Some people were just genuinely upset...
The Bill and Melinda Gates news made me sad?????????— ian karmel (@ian karmel) 1620076869
Others were considering their options.
Must be quite difficult, if Bill Gates is keen on marrying again, to find someone who can put their hand on their h… https://t.co/Spm2bJCH2D— David Baddiel (@David Baddiel) 1620114746
The settlement is likely going to be complex, and huge. Expect a legal payday for someone.
Conspiracy theorists are bound to have thoughts.
What if @BillGates account was hacked?— Ameyaw Debrah (@Ameyaw Debrah) 1620115626
One person marvelled at just how quickly Gates’ fortune could bounce back post-divorce.
When Jeff Bezos got divorced, his fortune fell from $159 billion to $121 billion. Two years later, he's now worth $… https://t.co/4VnEJVXRAJ— Dan Price (@Dan Price) 1620076166
The AP contributed to this report.