BILL AND MELINDA GATES CALL IT QUITS

For those in unhappy marriages, there has never been a more accepting time to file for divorce. Indeed, for most of our history, it has only been spoken about in hushed tones and only a last resort, even in marriages with domestic violence. However, with every celebrity divorce, it has become more and more acceptable, and a recent split has only added to this normalcy.

THE DIVORCE ANNOUNCEMENT

After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda Gates announced their split on their respective Twitter accounts. It was apparently a mutual decision, but it was Melinda Gates that actually filed for divorce in King County, Washington, on Monday. In that divorce petition, she asked the judge to follow the couple’s separation contract when dissolving their marriage.

THE COUPLE’S RELATIONSHIP

The couple met at Microsoft when Bill was the CEO and Melinda was a product manager. The two met during a business dinner in New York in 1987. Melinda started as a product manager, but she worked her way up through the company. And, throughout their nearly 30-year relationship, the couple also raised three children.

THE COUPLE’S BUSINESS DEALINGS

Since 2000 though, the couple has devoted their lives to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic organization. To date, they have spent $53.8 billion on philanthropic endeavors, like poverty alleviation, educational reform, global health, clean water, etc. The couple is worth nearly $140 billion, but there is no indication how the divorce will affect the foundation or Melinda’s investment firm, Pivotal Ventures.

DIVORCE AS THE NEXT STEP

For Mobile, Alabama, residents that are currently in an unhappy marriage, there are options. Marriage therapy and couples counseling can help, but when it does not, divorce may be the next appropriate step. It can offer those in unhappy marriages a pathway to a happy life, but one needs to contact an attorney first.