Melinda Gates, philanthropist and women's empowerment activist, could become the second richest woman in the world, with a fortune estimated at $ 73 billion, after splitting from billionaire Bill Gates.
In her lawsuit filed Monday in court in Seattle, Washington, Melinda Gates said the divorce from Microsoft multi-billionaire co-founder Bill Gates, one of the richest men on the planet, was irreversible and appealed to the court to shared the couple's joint fortune - $ 146 billion.
The 50-50 split is likely to occur because filing for divorce also reveals that the couple - who got married in 1994 - did not sign a prenuptial agreement, and under Washington law, divorced couples are expected to share their assets. them equally.
If that happens, Melinda French Gates - who recently posted her maiden name on social media profiles - will be ranked after Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the 67-year-old owner of L'Oreal, whose inherited fortune is worth about $ 83 billion.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bill Gates is currently ranked as the fourth richest person in the world, with a fortune of $ 146 billion. He would have been richer - and probably the richest man in the world - if he had not donated at least $ 40 billion to the charity foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates.
Divorce calls into question the future of the couple's humanitarian initiatives through the foundation, which also receives money from other donors, ranging from billionaire Warren Buffett to the UK government. Although they have said they will co-operate, some experts suggest the divorced couple may have differing views about the future direction of the foundation.
The foundation focuses on projects to improve global health care, education and gender equality.
Burimet: Guardian, Bloomberg
