Bill Gates, a world-famous billionaire man and founder of Microsoft (MS), the world's largest software company, has agreed to divorce his wife, Merlinda Gates.



Bill Gates and Merlinda said in a joint statement on Twitter on the 3rd (local time) that they had decided to end their marriage, Reuters and AFP reported.



They said, "After a lot of thought and effort in our relationship, we decided to end the marriage."



They said, "In the past 27 years (married life) we have raised 3 amazing children, and we have also established foundations that work around the world to ensure that everyone has a healthy and productive life."



They went on to explain the reason for the divorce, saying, "We still share our beliefs in this mission and we will continue to work together at the Foundation, but we no longer think we can grow together as a couple in the next stage of our lives."



"While we start pioneering this new life, we ask for space and privacy for our family."



These couples met at Microsoft.



Bill married Merlinda, a marketing manager for the company he founded, in Hawaii in 1994.



They also recalled that when they had been dating for a year and reached the fork when they had to decide whether to marry or break up, Merlin laughed at discovering that Bill had written a list of the pros and cons of marriage on the chalkboard in the bedroom. .



The Bill Gates couple's fortune is estimated to be worth $130 billion (approximately 14.5 trillion won), and the divorce decision is expected to result in an astronomical split.



Bill Gates owns 1.37% of Microsoft's stock worth more than $26 billion, according to the financial intelligence firm Factset.



However, CNBC said it is not yet clear how or how much the property was divided.



After retiring from Microsoft's management, Bill has worked with Merlinda in 2000 to establish the Bill & Merlinda Gates Foundation, which fights disease and hunger and expands education.



Bill and Merlinda also started the'Giving Pledge' campaign to donate more than half of their fortunes with Warren Buffett, who is also called the'Investment Master.



Prior to this, in 2019, Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, the world's leading e-commerce company at the time, made the world buzz by announcing his divorce from his wife Mackenzie.



(Photo = Getty Image Korea)