Divorced Bill Gates Couple Continue Philanthropy in Their Own Ways

Bill Gates (left) and Melinda French Gates [Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] According to an AP report on the 2nd (local time), Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and his wife Melinda French Gates, who officially divorced last August, have expressed their intention to continue their philanthropic activities in their own ways.

Through letters released on the same day by 'The Giving Pledge,' a club of global billionaires committed to philanthropy, both expressed their intention to remain involved with the organization. The Giving Pledge was co-founded in 2010 by the Gates couple and Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Currently, 226 billionaires from 27 countries have pledged to donate more than half of their wealth.

In their letters, Gates and French Gates indicated their intention to continue philanthropic activities aligned with their individual philosophies.

French Gates stated, "I believe it is very unreasonable for one person to hold an enormous amount of money, and if there is one moral thing that can be done with that money, it is to donate in the most thoughtful and impactful way."

According to Forbes, French Gates' net worth amounts to $6.2 billion (approximately 7.3 trillion KRW).

She said, "The important thing is to acknowledge that donating money that my family does not particularly need is not especially noble." She added, "I will focus on alleviating poverty and inequality for women and girls living in the U.S. and around the world, as well as those in marginalized situations, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Pivotal Ventures."

Pivotal Ventures is an investment company established in 2015 by French Gates with the purpose of promoting the prosperity of families, society, and humanity through the advancement of women's status.

Bill Gates, whose net worth is $138 billion, expressed his intention to continue donating through the Gates Foundation, which he established.

He said, "No child should be unable to access emergency medicine or fair educational opportunities simply because of where they live," and added, "The Gates Foundation was established to address the severe inequalities in the world." He also stated, "As time goes on, the foundation's work will only increase, but we will focus on expanding opportunities for the world's poorest and improving the quality of education in the United States."