Why French Melinda Gates Quit Gates Foundation

After about 30 years of relationships as a couple and business partners, the Gates finally broke the last of their relationships.

Following their divorce three years ago, French Melinda Gates will be quitting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation June 7. And her ex-husband and co-chair Bill Gates promised her a golden handshake.

“This is not a decision I came to lightly,” Melinda wrote in a statement posted to X on Monday.

Both started the foundation 24 years ago, and invested about $36 billion of their wealth in it. Many had thought their break-up would hamstring the $75-billion foundation. 

The pair however maintained their positions until Melinda announced her departure.

“I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together,” Melinda wrote in her statement.

According to her, she will now have an additional $12.5bn for her own charitable work on women and families.

“This is a critical moment for women and girls in the US and around the world—and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support,” she wrote.

Melinda, already worth $11.3 billion herself, has been supporting women and minority groups through her Pivotal Ventures.

The Gate Foundation has equally been spending billions on health campaigns and poverty reduction across the world.

Gates said was sorry to see Melinda leave. 

“But I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work,” he said.

The Microsoft founder has remained one of the world’s richest men with larger portions of the networth pouring into philanthropy.

His works in Nigeria include maternal-child health care, immunization, neumonia, diarrheal diseases, and malnutrition, and we work to improve access to clean water and proper sanitation and hygiene.

Forbes estimates his wealth at over $130 billion.