Bill Gates: Will You Lose Money From Your Divorce?
Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have announced their divorce, which has raised questions about what will happen to their foundation, and the money they both share.
Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have announced their divorce after more than 27 years. The news was received with a shock by the media since it seemed one of the strongest couples of billionaires, but also because of the effect it can have on their personal finances and the organizations to which they are linked such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Now, the question is, could the fortune of the founder of Microsoft go to the hands of his wife because of this problem?
The question arises after what happened to Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, after his divorce with Mackenzie Scott, which resulted in her keeping 25% of the couple's shares in Amazon which had a value of 35.6 billion dollars, thus becoming the third richest woman in the world. Bezos stuck with 75%.
What will happen in the divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates?
According to some reports, the couple did not have a prenuptial contract, which may result in one party requesting spousal maintenance or separation of assets, including money they have from their personal wealth. However, in the divorce petition that Melinda Gates filed in King County Washington, it is mentioned that the two will divide their assets according to a separation agreement that they both have signed. Also, Melinda notes that spousal support is not required. This does not make it clear how their finances will turn out after the separation.
In the petition, the woman she notes: "We asked the court to dissolve our marriage and find that our marital community ended on the separate date in the separation contract." However, it has not been clear when they officially parted ways. In the document, Melinda points out that the marriage between the two is "broken beyond repair." The causes of this separation are not known either.
The two will have to attend court in April 2022. They have until March 2022 to carry out another way to settle any dispute outside of court, with the case being reviewed until September of that year, according to data obtained by People magazine. .
The media also points out that the woman presented a temporary order that establishes financial restrictions as of yesterday, which prevents her and Bill Gates from getting rid of any property, making changes to insurance policies, except when accepted by in writing or as ordered by the court. On the other hand, each will be responsible for their own debts, except for those determined and will have access to legal financial, tax and property records. Your children are of legal age, so there will be no custody issues.
In their statement, they both noted: “After much thought and a lot of work in our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the past 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works around the world to empower people to lead healthy and productive lives. We continue to have a belief in that mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we do not believe that we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our life. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life. " This was published on the social networks of the two characters.
In general, if there are changes in your finances we will see it during the next months. It is not known if Gates will have to share shares in Microsoft, but those of the Foundation will remain as part of the portfolio, and it will remain active despite the divorce of the founders.
