Bill and Melinda Gates said that the foundation valued $ 50 billion, that they co-founded would see no changes when they announced divorce after 27 years of marriage.
Now change might be imminent for one of the world’s most philanthropic organisations after revelations about Gates’ dubious behaviour at Microsoft and Melinda Gates saying that she considered divorce because of Bill Gates’ ties to alleged sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Mark Suzman, the Gates Foundation's chief executive officer, has told employees that he's in talks to strengthen “the long-term sustainability and stability of the foundation”.
“I'm actively discussing with Bill and Melinda steps they and Warren might take,” Suzman told Bloomberg, referring to the third trustee of the organisation—Warren Buffet. Suzman also said that no decisions have been made and added that Bill and Melinda have “reaffirmed their commitment to the foundation and continue to work together on behalf of our mission”.
Buffet has added over $27 billion of his own money to the foundation over the years.
The couple is currently in discussion to add more governance and independence to the structure of the foundation, WSJ reports. The couple has vowed to continue their philanthropic work together. The divorce had been carefully planned as the couple met with divorce lawyers in 2019 and $4 billion worth of publicly disclosed transfers were made from Bill to Melinda.
Besides the fate of the foundation, there also remains the question of who will get the Xanadu 2.0 luxurious mansion in Washington and other assets that add up to $130.5 billion.
