As Melinda Gates Changes the World With Money From Her Divorce Settlement; Here's Her Net Worth

Name

Melinda Gates

Net Worth

$12 Billion

Gender

Female

DOB

Aug 15, 1964

Age

59 years

Nationality

United States of America

Profession

Businessperson

Melinda Gates, an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, possesses a net worth of $12 billion. Interested in computers from a young age, she joined Microsoft's product development department in 1987, and went on to become a general manager. She married Bill Gates in 1994 and they parted ways in 2021, but they have continued to work together for philanthropy as co-founders of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The precise details of the settlement that came after 27 years aren't public, but it is known that the couple did not have a prenuptial arrangement. Melinda Gates received stocks worth at least $6.3 billion according to estimates by Forbes. A substantial portion of their combined wealth, which was primarily charitable endeavors, had already been allocated. As of now, Melinda has sold a substantial chunk of the shares allocated to her.

According to Forbes’ review of Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Melinda French Gates has unloaded roughly $1.44 billion worth of stock (before taxes) since December 2021. At the end of last year, she sold 3.67 million shares of car retailer AutoNation for an estimated $429 million, leaving her with a 4% stake in the company. Around the same time, she also sold around $468 million worth of Canadian National Railway stock and $3.6 million worth of Coca-Cola FEMSA shares. In her most recent sale, which was reported in July, she sold another 4.63 million shares of Canadian National Railway for $538 million. She now owns 2.2% of the railway firm, down from 3.3%.

In 2000, Bill and Melinda created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, which is one of the world's largest private foundations with assets totaling $46.8 billion. Commited to reducing poverty, improving education, and enhancing healthcare, the couple had donated an estimated $36 billion through the foundation. Along with Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet is also a trustee in the foundation which has also established the Gates Cambridge Scholarships at the University of Cambridge.

In her individual Giving Pledge letter, which she revised in the latter part of the previous year, Melinda French Gates restated her dedication to donating the majority of her wealth.

"I recognize the absurdity of so much wealth being concentrated in the hands of one person, and I believe the only responsible thing to do with a fortune this size is give it away—as thoughtfully and impactfully as possible,” she wrote.

Apart from the 66,000-square-foot mansion in Medina Washington called Xanadu 2.0 that served as the residence of the Gates family, Bill and Melinda together owned a $43 million house in Del Mar, California. They also owned 242,000 acres of farmland across three states. But it isn't clear what part of the real estate went to Melinda after the divorce.

Instagram

908,000

Facebook

2.4 Million

Twitter

2.5 Million

In 2002, Bill and Melinda Gates were honored with the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged by Jefferson Awards. In December 2005, they shared Time's Person of the Year title with Bono.

Melinda was granted an honorary doctorate in medicine from the Karolinska Institute in 2007. She was bestowed an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Duke University in 2013.

India's Padma Bhushan award was jointly received by them in 2015 for their philanthropic endeavors. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was presented by President Barack Obama to them in 2016.

Co-founded and co-chaired with her husband, Melinda Gates has led the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

She uses her significant wealth to promote various causes, including those that impact women, healthcare, and social services.

The primary stated goals of the foundation are to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty across the world, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology in the US.