Jennifer, the eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, reacts to the announcement of her parents’ divorce
Steph Deschamps / May 4, 2021
Melinda Gates has filed for divorce from Bill Gates and cited as the reason that their marriage was irretrievably broken, the Daily Mail revealed this Tuesday morning. The British newspaper obtained the legal document filed to start the divorce proceedings, which also reveals that the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement and that the founder of Microsoft, who is the fourth richest man in the world, has a fortune of about 130 billion dollars.
In an unexpected move, Bill, 64, and Melinda, 56, announced their separation after 27 years of marriage via Twitter on Monday.
The couple will now have to divide their wealth - which includes properties in five states, a private jet, an amazing art collection and a fleet of luxury cars.
The couple's eldest daughter, Jennifer, 25, revealed that her family was going through a difficult period.
On social network Instagram Monday afternoon, the young woman wrote, I'm still learning how to best adjust to recent developments and deal with my emotions as well as those of my family members at this time and I'm grateful for the space you're giving me to proceed.
Thank you for giving us the privacy we need as we enter new phases of our lives.
Jennifer is the oldest of Bill and Melinda's three children, followed by her 21-year-old son, Rory, and her 18-year-old daughter, Phoebe.
Both Bill and Melinda issued the same joint statement about their divorce on Twitter, which said, After much thought and hard work, 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 enable all people to lead healthy and productive lives. We continue to share a belief in this mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe that we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.