Reasons for Divorce in Bill and Melinda Gates after 27 years

 

Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have announced separation on 3 May 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

But the couple did not elaborate on the reason for divorce or explained the reason for waiting so long period to separate.

However, people.com magazine has intimated in a report that they had been waiting so long to announce divorce due to said their children

It has been mentioned in the report quoting sources that reason for announcing the divorce at moment is apparently that their youngest daughter Phoebe Adele Gates is now 18 years old.

As per the sources their youngest child graduated from High School and they had decided to stay together till then. The couple actually was waiting for their children till dropping out of school as many parents do.

Wall Street Journal has highlighted one possible reason for divorce

Main reason for the divorce is still not clear, but as per Wall Street Journal, Melinda Gates has been meeting with lawyers for many years about the divorce.

As per the report, Melinda was consulting with lawyers from at least 2019; now petition has been filed in the court.

She worked with several companies of lawyers to save the marriage. In a petition filed in the court, she termed it a victim of "irreparable damage".

As per American magazine, Melinda’s concerns are about her husband's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein was a billionaire who was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of women, including young girls, for many years, not just enslaving them. He even used them to satisfy the sexual desires of his friends and guests. 

The Daily Beast reported in a recent report that Bill Gates had been meeting Jeffrey Epstein since 2011. Jeffrey was convicted in 2008 of abusing underage girls.

The report states that Bill and Melinda Gates met with Jeffrey Epstein in New York in September 2013. Shortly afterwards, Melinda Gates expressed her dissatisfaction with the meeting in front of her friends.

According to people close to the couple, Melinda was not happy with her husband's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Gates had told the Wall Street Journal in 2019 that he was not a friend of Jeffrey Epstein.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the New York Times first reported in October 2019 that Bill Gates had met with Jeffrey Epstein more than once. After which Melinda contacted dozens of times with her advisers.

The New York Times reported that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in a prison of New York.

The couple has announced through joint statement on Twitter saying that after living together for many years, they now realize that they cannot live together as married couple.

The couple confirmed through tweets that although they have decided to separate their marital life. However, they will jointly continue business and their welfare projects.

It is pertinent to mention that if Melinda divorces her husband, she can become the second richest woman in the world.

Melinda Gates has said in her divorce petition filed in Washington's King County High Court that her marriage to Bill Gates was "irreparably broken". The court was asked to distribute 146 billion dollars assets to the couple.

According to the petition filed in the court, the couple has asked the judge to distribute their assets under a separation contract.

This agreement usually occurs when a couple is separated but not divorced; the terms of this document have not yet been revealed.

As per Washington state law, assets are distributed equally in the event of divorce.

If that happens, Melinda French (added French name to her social media profiles) will become the world's second richest followed by 67 years old Fransois Bethancourt Meyers.

Although Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have said they will continue to head the foundation. However, some experts say their differing views after the divorce could have an impact on the organization.

In fact, even before the divorce, Bill Gates began distributing assets. Last week, the company that invested in Bill Gates transferred more than two billion worth of shares to Stock Melinda in just a few days.