Melinda Gates' Billion-Dollar Divorce Payout Plans Revealed Ahead of First Hearing on Friday
Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce is about to get official - their first hearing is set for this Friday, per Insider.
The power couple announced they were ending their marriage after 27 years just last week.
However, with the short timeline between their announcement and the upcoming legal proceedings, it's possible that perhaps their plan to separate has been in the works for quite some time.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Melinda met with divorce lawyers in the last two years just before the official filing.
Moreover, neither the Microsoft creator nor his soon-to-be ex-wife commented on what led to their divorce, but there are rumors that Melinda Gates had concerns about Bill's "meetings" with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
How Much Money is at Stake in Bill and Melinda Gates' Divorce
Bill Gates' net worth is about $130 billion, making him the fourth richest man in the world.
The same day they announced their divorce, Bill reportedly transferred about $4 billion in shares to Melinda.
The pair reportedly don't have a prenup agreement in place to distribute their assets. However, they do have a signed separation contract for dividing their possessions and property.
The terms of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed as of writing.
How Melinda Gates Will Use Her Billion-Dollar Divorce Payout
According to Alexsis de Raadt St. James, the founder of Merian Ventures, Melinda Gates will still be using her new fortune to good news.
The mom-of-three is known to have focused on giving, so it's still something many can expect from her in the future.
Melinda Gates will continue to empower women and young girls, something that she had already initiated in her investment and incubation company, Pivotal Ventures.
According to CEO of She's The First Tammy Tibbetts, "She's been very consistent in supporting gender issues and women and girls."
Though Melinda's company, she will also likely continue spearheading mental health initiatives that focus on the younger generation.
In the past few months, Melinda launched "Sound It Out," a national campaign that promotes mental health for middle school students, and "The Upswing Fund for Adolescent Mental Health" which provides organizations resources to address the mental health of young people.
Bill Gates' former wife is also very vocal about vaccines and vaccine access, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So it's likely it will continue to be one of her initiatives moving forward.
Last year, she told CNN, "If we only get it to the high-income countries, this disease is going to bounce around."
"We're going to see twice as many deaths. And the recovery of our economies is going to be much slower than if we get the vaccine out to everybody."
Their foundation has already committed around $2 billion in helping global recovery.
Of course, poverty is also a priority for Melinda Gates, which she and Bill have already tackled for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She believes that contraceptives are the "greatest anti-poverty tool" in the world, that she wants women to have broad access to them.
