Bill and Melinda Gates revealed on Monday that their 27-year marriage was coming to an end.

Mr. Gates’ fortune as a co-founder of Microsoft reshaped philanthropy and public health.

“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” they said in a joint statement. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.”

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— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021

They no longer “believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives,” according to the statement.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was established by the pair in 2000 as a private philanthropic organisation that supports research and advocacy work around the world, including in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Mr. and Mrs. Gates have been singular forces on the global stage for decades, their immense resources allowing them access to the highest levels of government, industry, and nonprofit organizations.

With a $50 billion endowment, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has enormous clout in areas spanning from public wellness and early childhood education. The pair has been particularly noticeable in the last year, speaking on the global battle against Covid-19 on a regular basis while their foundation spent more than $1 billion to stop the pandemic.

The divorce will raise new concerns regarding what would happen to Bill and Melinda Gates’ fortune, much of which is yet to be given to the Gates Foundation. According to Forbes, Mr. Gates, who co-founded Microsoft, is one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, worth an approximate $124 billion.