American business magnate, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates announced on Twitter that they have decided to divorce.
The couple have been married for 27 years and have three children together.
Mr Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and is one of the wealthiest people in the world, and his wife established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic organisation that has made contributions to fighting poverty and health issues.
“We no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
They’ll continue to work together at the massive philanthropic foundation they built to improve global health, combat climate change and bolster US education, the pair said in the statement.
The two have been active through the Covid-19 pandemic, encouraging the development of vaccines with grants and publicly abiding by health safety measures.
Through their foundation, which Mr Gates has fully committed to after stepping away from day-to-day operations in Microsoft, the couple has given away more than $50 billion. The foundation also currently has over $51 billion in assets, according to a tax filing cited by CNBC.