Bill and Melinda Gates stunned the world by announcing their divorce after 27 years of marriage, as we announced yesterday. Now, shocking new information about their divorce have emerged.
Melinda claimed in her court filing that her marriage to Bill is “irretrievably broken,” according to court records obtained by NBC News. She filed a divorce petition in King County, Washington, on Monday, claiming that “spousal support is not needed” and that property divisions will be determined by a separation contract.
Her filing continued, “We ask the court to dissolve our marriage and find that our marital community ended on the date specified in our separation contract.”
It’s unclear when Bill and Melinda divorced, and whether or not they had a prenuptial arrangement in effect at the time.
In a joint statement, Bill, 65, and Melinda, 56, confirmed their divorce to the world on Monday.
“We have made the decision to end our marriage after much consideration and work on our relationship,” they said in a statement. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three amazing children and established a foundation that works around the world to ensure that everybody can live a safe and prosperous life.”
In a joint statement, Bill, 65, and Melinda, 56, confirmed their divorce to the world on Monday.
“We have made the decision to end our marriage after much consideration and work on our relationship,” they said in a statement. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three amazing children and established a foundation that works around the world to ensure that everybody can live a safe and prosperous life.”
They also mentioned that they will continue to collaborate at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the future.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021
Bill and Melinda Gates’ oldest child, Jennifer Katharine Gates, 25, said in a statement that it has been a “challenging period of time for our entire family.”
“At this time, I’m also learning how to better help my own process and emotions, as well as the process and emotions of my family members,” she added.
Bill and Melinda met in 1987 when she was working as a marketing manager at Microsoft, the company he created. They married in 1994 and seemed to be committed to one another over the years, making their divorce all the more surprising.
In the 2019 Netflix documentary “Inside Bill’s Brain,” Bill said, “In the case of Melinda, it is a completely equal partner.” “She’s a lot like me in the sense that she’s upbeat and interested in science. She is a better communicator than I am. She’s a smidgeon less adamant about knowing, say, immunology, than I am.”
