Melinda Gates would have considered divorce in 2019
According to the "Wall Street Journal", the wife of the co-founder of Microsoft would have contacted a lawyer when she learned of her husband's links with Jeffrey Epstein, the businessman accused of trafficking in minors.
Melinda Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, reportedly began meeting with divorce lawyers as early as 2019, following reports of links between her husband and businessman Jeffrey Epstein imprisoned for trafficking in minors, who committed suicide in prison the same year. Citing sources familiar with the matter, as well as documents it obtained, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that Melinda Gates had begun to fine-tune the terms of her split around this time, with counsel working for several firms.
The WSJ reports that Melinda Gates and her attorneys had several telephone interviews in October 2019, around the time the New York Times ran an article detailing the many meetings her husband allegedly had with Epstein, who allegedly even stayed at her home. of Manhattan late into the night. A spokesperson for Bill Gates had argued at the time that the meetings were for works of philanthropy, and that the Microsoft boss regretted having met Epstein. Contacted again by the WSJ, a spokesperson for Bill Gates said Bill Gates was standing by his statements at the time.
124 billion dollars to share
A former employee of the Gates Foundation reported to the WSJ that Melinda Gates expressed her "discomfort" with Epstein after a first meeting between the three in 2013. In March 2020, according to the US finance daily, the couple were already discussing the issue. way they would share their immense wealth. Also according to the WSJ, the couple agreed to share their property in accordance with a separation contract, the terms of which were set in the official divorce petition of May 3. Their wealth includes, among other things, a residential complex valued at $ 131 million in Western Washington State, a collection of scientific writings attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, acquired for the tidy sum of $ 30 million. dollars, and investments in Microsoft and Four Seasons hotels. Bill Gates is, according to the latest Forbes ranking, the fourth richest man in the world, with a fortune estimated at $ 124 billion.
