Bill and Melinda Gates have no marriage contract and will split their € 125bn under separation deal
Bill and Melinda Gates don't have a marriage agreement, but they do have a "separation contract" that stipulates how they will share their property, TMZ reported Monday. The philanthropic couple announced Monday they are divorcing after 27 years of marriage. Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and owns 1% of the company, has an estimated fortune of $ 146 billion (€ 121 billion), according to Bloomberg. This fortune places him fourth on Bloomberg's list of the richest people in the world. The divorce deal could be one of the biggest ever.
A section of the Gates' divorce file asked if the couple had signed a prenuptial agreement, separation agreement or community of property agreement. The couple made it clear that they had a separation contract that they wanted the court to enforce, but did not say they had a marriage contract. A marriage contract is a legal agreement that couples can sign before marriage. It sets out what will happen to a couple's assets in the event of a divorce or the death of one of them, and can also set financial expectations for the marriage.
A separation agreement or contract is a private legal document signed by a couple when they want to live apart. It lists their rights and obligations, such as alimony and child custody, and is signed without court intervention. Sometimes a separation contract is followed by divorce, but some couples use it as an opportunity to mend their marriage, according to the New York City Bar.
In the divorce papers, the couple requested that their real estate, personal assets and debts be shared in accordance with their separation contract. Melinda Gates did not ask for spousal support. The couple also said their union was "irretrievably broken" and asked the court to end their marriage on the date stated in their separation agreement, although that date is not indicated in the divorce documents.
The documents, filed Monday in King County, Wash., Name Melinda Gates as the claimant and Bill Gates as the defendant. The trial date is set for April 4, 2022.
According to Insider's Katie Canales, the Gates' divorce settlement could be one of the biggest ever. When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie split in 2019, their settlement was $ 38 billion (€ 31.6 billion), making MacKenzie Scott the third most successful woman. richest in the world.
