[News Inside] From Genius Developer to Donation King, to Divorce of the Century... Who Is This Title Maker?

Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft (MS)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft (MS) and one of the world's most renowned billionaires.

After stepping down as MS CEO, he continued his philanthropic work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, exerting a positive influence. This time, however, he shocked the world with the "divorce of the century." On the 3rd (local time), Bill Gates (65) and Melinda Gates (56) announced separately on their Twitter accounts that they had decided to end their 27-year marriage.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

◆Who is Bill Gates? = Bill Gates was born in 1955 in Seattle, Washington, to father William H. Gates and mother Mary Maxwell Gates. Gates' father was a well-known lawyer, and his mother was a former bank executive, so he grew up in a wealthy family. At the age of 13, Bill Gates enrolled in Lakeside School, an elite private school.

While attending Lakeside School, Gates was first introduced to computers and became fascinated with programming. He later recalled this period, saying, "That machine was really amazing to me at the time."

Lakeside School holds special significance for Bill Gates in many ways. It was where he first encountered computers and met Paul Allen, with whom he co-founded MS.

A few years later, Bill Gates entered Harvard University but dropped out after two years and moved to Albuquerque to start MS.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

◆Meeting Melinda... From office romance to marriage = Gates and Melinda first met at work. Melinda joined MS, founded by Gates in 1975, as her first job in 1987.

They bonded easily over their shared interest in "computers."

Born in August 1964 in Dallas, Texas, Melinda, like Gates, was interested in computer games and programming during her school years. She later earned an MBA from Duke University before joining MS as her first job.

Gates and Melinda first met at an MS staff dinner, and a few months later, Gates asked Melinda out on a date, which led to their relationship.

After seven years of dating within the company, they tied the knot in Hawaii in 1994 when Gates was 38 and Melinda was 29.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

◆Model couple and partners... Ending 27 years of marriage = Until now, Gates was known as a global billionaire but had lived a life distant from philanthropy. Some media outlets even described him as an "opportunist who only cares about money." It is known that Melinda played a significant role in helping him become a respected philanthropist.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000, was created to address poverty and disease eradication in the developing world. Gates and Melinda have jointly managed the foundation. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, they devoted themselves to supporting vaccine development, showcasing their image as a "model couple." The foundation's assets used so far amount to $54 billion (approximately 60 trillion KRW).

Although the couple has stated they will continue working together on the foundation after their divorce, some view the foundation's future as uncertain.

According to the divorce petition they filed with the Seattle King County Superior Court, they stated that "the marriage has irretrievably broken down." Details about the division of assets have not been disclosed but are reported to have been agreed upon mutually. As of the 9th, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bill Gates' net worth is $146 billion (approximately 163.6 trillion KRW), ranking fourth in the world.