Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage, saying, “We no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple.”
“After much thought and work on our relationship, we made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple tweeted.
They first met in the 1980s when Melinda joined Bill’s Microsoft company.
The billionaire couple has three children and together they run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The organization has spent billions tackling causes such as infectious diseases and promoting vaccinations in children.
The Gates, along with investor Warren Buffett, are behind the Giving Pledge, which calls on billionaires to pledge to donate most of their wealth to charity.
According to Forbes, Bill Gates is the fourth richest person in the world and is worth $ 124 billion (£ 89 billion).
We made his living with the company he co-founded in the 1970s, Microsoft, the world’s largest software company.
Both posted the divorce statement on Twitter.
“Over the past 27 years we’ve raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works around the world so everyone can live healthy and productive lives,” it says.
“We continue to share the belief in this mission and will continue to work with the Foundation, but we no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives.
“We ask for space and privacy for our families as we begin to find our way in this new area