Inside Melinda and Bill Gates’ 27-year marriage: from meeting at Microsoft and fighting poverty together to a billionaires’ divorce
- Their three kids Jennifer, Phoebe and Rory didn’t have phones until they were 14 and will ‘only’ inherit US$10 million each
- A conversation on a beach in Zanzibar led to the start of a foundation now the largest endowment in the world at almost US$50 billion
Microsoft founder Bill Gates announced plans to separate from Melinda, his wife of 27 years, on Monday.
“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 and Melinda Gates have been married since 1994, raised three kids, are worth US$130.5 billion, and run a namesake philanthropic enterprise boasting a US$49.8 billion endowment.
Here’s a look back at Bill and Melinda Gates’ marriage.
Bill and Melinda first met in 1987, when she joined Microsoft as a product manager
Melinda described on NPR how he asked her if she could go out “two weeks from tonight” – to which she replied, “Two weeks from tonight? I have no idea what I’m doing two weeks from tonight. And I said, ‘You’re not spontaneous enough for me’.”
Melinda gave Bill her number and told him to call her closer to the day he had in mind