Why did Bill and Melinda Gates divorce now? Daughter Phoebe's graduation among 'combo' of likely factors
Bill and Melinda Gates revealed on Monday, May 3, that their 27-year marriage has come to an end. Shocking the world with their news, the couple in a joint statement posted on Twitter stated: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. 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.”
The Gateses were America’s most famous billionaire philanthropists. The Microsoft co-founder and his wife built the world's largest charitable foundation — all while raising three children. Understandably, the curiosity as to why the power couple suddenly decided to go their separate ways is huge. It left many wondering on social media about why the seemingly 'perfect and content' married couple suddenly took this decision.
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Why did Melinda Gates file for divorce now?
According to a source as mentioned by the New York Post, Bill and Melinda Gates divorced due to a "combo of factors" and scheduled their divorce to coincide with the youngest of their three children's high school graduation, hinting that the couple were waiting it out so that their children's lives are least affected.
“It’s absolutely because their youngest child is graduating from high school, and the idea was that they stayed together through that,” a source told People magazine. “They limped through until their kids were out of school like a lot of people.” Phoebe, their youngest daughter, celebrated her 18th birthday in last September. Bill and Melinda are also parents to son Rory, 21, and daughter Jennifer, 25, who called her parents' split "a challenging stretch of time for our whole family."
“I’m still learning how to best support my own process and emotions as well as family members at this time, and am grateful for the space to do so. I won’t personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me,” she wrote.
Melinda, 56, filed for divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill, 65, claiming the marriage was "irretrievably broken." There was a "separation arrangement" in effect, but no prenup, according to court papers filed Monday, May 3, in Seattle. A source said to People that this was the former couple's plan to keep things as civil and private as possible, as they still plan to work together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Adding that there seemed to be an absence of rage in the separation, the source said: "Nobody is going to want to invite more scrutiny because it’ll hurt their credibility,” the source told the outlet “I don’t think they’re so angry that anybody wants to take each other down, like you sometimes see. [Melinda is] not incentivized for that." According to the source, one reward for playing nice was the Gates' desire to receive a Nobel Prize for their philanthropy.
“So one thing that was part of this is, if it gets worse, then it ends that. It seems as if that was on the agenda, and that’s for both of them,” the source was quoted as saying.