China News Service, May 17th. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal on the 16th local time, according to people familiar with the matter, at the end of 2019, the Microsoft Board of Directors investigated the relationship between the company's co-founder Gates and a female employee.
During the investigation, some board members believed that Gates was no longer suitable for directorship.
People familiar with the matter said that after a Microsoft engineer alleged that she had maintained a sexual relationship with Gates for many years, Microsoft's board of directors hired a law firm to investigate the matter in 2019.
A Microsoft spokesperson said that in the second half of 2019, someone said that Gates tried to establish an intimate relationship with an employee of the company in 2000.
The company reviewed this issue with the assistance of an external law firm in order to conduct a thorough investigation.
Throughout the investigation process, Microsoft provided extensive support to employees who questioned.
The picture shows Bill Gates and his wife announced their divorce.
People familiar with the matter said that during the investigation, some members of Microsoft's board of directors believed that Gates was no longer suitable to serve as a director of the company.
Another person familiar with the matter said that Gates announced his resignation before the board's investigation was completed and a decision was made.
On the other hand, a Gates spokesperson said that Gates' decision to leave the board of directors has nothing to do with this matter.
He expressed his interest in devoting more time to charity a few years ago.
In March 2020, Gates announced that he would leave the Microsoft board of directors, saying that he would spend more time on charity.
On May 3, 2021 local time, Gates and his wife Melinda Gates announced that they would end their 27-year marriage.
The two said in a statement that they will continue to work together on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "but in the next stage of life, continuing to maintain a marriage relationship will no longer allow us to improve together."