The surprise announcement that Bill and Melinda Gates would be ending their 27-year marriage raises questions about the future of their individual and joint philanthropic efforts.
There are no planned changes to their roles or the organization, according to a statement released by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the world’s largest private foundation and has major influence in global health and international development.
But much of the couple’s fortune has not been donated to the foundation. Bill’s estimated net worth is around $130 billion, and he and Melinda may choose to use other mechanisms to direct grants and investments to the causes they care about.