- Bill and Melinda Gates married in 1994, and the Microsoft cofounder said they were ending their union.
- Gates spends much of his $130 billion fortune on charity through the Bill and Melinda Foundation.
- The pair have three children together.
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Bill and Melinda Gates are ending their marriage of 27 years, the billionaire Microsoft cofounder tweeted on Monday.
"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," Bill Gates said in a tweet. "Over the last 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."
-Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021
The pair married in 1994, seven years after Melinda joined Microsoft as a product manager. When Bill initially asked her out, he inquired if they could go out "two weeks from tonight." When Melinda responded, saying "I have no idea what I'm doing two weeks from tonight," Bill said, "you're not spontaneous enough for me."
After taking her number, he ended up slyly calling her that same day.
They have three children together, including one who is a nationally-ranked equestrian show jumper. Each kid will inherit $10 million, with the rest going to charity.
The Gates' have long said they would spend their billions on philanthropic causes, particularly through their Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation.
This story is developing...