Bill and Melinda Gates Announce Divorce After 27 Years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Trauma dump on main. SMH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was also surprised by this and wondered why not just stay married and live separate lives. But my guess would be that she probably wants a partner, and they can't really (politically) afford to get caught up in a "cheating" scandal with their foundation. Gates has always seemed a little on the spectrum...I mean nothing about him has ever screamed OBSESSED WITH WOMEN. He's a 65 year old nerd who was obsessed with building a company and now obsessed with solving major world problems. Maybe it is about a woman? But I think more likely that he was not present and she is 56 and decided she wants someone who will be present with her. People change. 27 years is a long time. My gut says it's not about him or even her cheating but that you can't really be THEM and just have partners on the side without the media driving you crazy and making it harder for them to run their foundation.

Gates does seem like a workaholic. I knew a guy who worked at Microsoft--he would work a few years and then quit or take a sabbatical for a year so he could "see sunlight" during the day. Then he'd go back for a few years and do it all over again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those who are calling Bill and Melinda elderly, I'm 55 and I'm fine with that. What I don't care for -- and think is sadly mistaken -- is assuming that people who are elderly don't want to have a relationship filled with love and caring and intimacy and fun. This past year has illuminated that for many people in their late 50s and up, even those of us who are long-married. While younger parents have had to focus on the challenges of working and child-rearing during the pandemic, we have been looking ahead and thinking about what we want the rest of our lives to look like.

In your 50s, as your kids start leaving home or even complete that transition, you have a lot of decisions and transitions to make. In addition, you go from attending funerals for your parents and their peers to attending funerals for your own peers. That is sobering and thought-provoking, and the pandemic has, of course, intensified this. I've seen quite a few couples who have decided they no longer wish to be married -- even people who have done a superficially great job of accumulating wealth and raising kids. The couples who have chosen to split are not as surprising to me as those who have chosen to stay together -- including some who were in the shoals for years. Personally, I have found new gratitude for my husband of nearly 30 years being in my life. One thing I've re-learned this year is that he's never boring. I hope he feels the same way about me.

I am 60 and yes to all of this.

In your 50s, you have to decide and act on the question of what the rest of your life will look like. What you want to accomplish, what matters, what doesn't matter. You do not want to waste time or energy on relationships or causes or activities that are not important to you.

Throughout life, you think you have time. At about 55, I realized that may not be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's not act like this marriage was ever based on love. She was some MBA marketing striver—and let's be honest...conniver—working at Microsoft and he was already a multi-billionaire. She started banging her CEO. I guarantee she's just jealous of Jobs' widow and Bezos's ex, how they are blowing their husbands' billions, and she craves those same sort of PR puff pieces.

...or these high-powered divorces are just some scheme for the couples to dump tens of billions in stock and avoid Biden's tax raises.

I agree. It happened during the Enron debacle:
"Regarded by colleagues as prickly, Mr. Pai (pronounced "pie") was also known for running up large bills on the company expense account at strip clubs. His affair with an exotic dancer ended his marriage in 1999, and he sold most of his Enron shares to settle the divorce. Mr. Pai's take, more than $271 million, is the largest of any former Enron employee and has made him the target of several shareholder lawsuits."
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/businessspecial3/10-enron-players-where-they-landed-after-the-fall.html

[Anonymous]

She comes across like a total ass in the Netflix doc. He can afford top drop her and I'm sure he'll be much happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who are calling Bill and Melinda elderly, I'm 55 and I'm fine with that. What I don't care for -- and think is sadly mistaken -- is assuming that people who are elderly don't want to have a relationship filled with love and caring and intimacy and fun. This past year has illuminated that for many people in their late 50s and up, even those of us who are long-married. While younger parents have had to focus on the challenges of working and child-rearing during the pandemic, we have been looking ahead and thinking about what we want the rest of our lives to look like.

In your 50s, as your kids start leaving home or even complete that transition, you have a lot of decisions and transitions to make. In addition, you go from attending funerals for your parents and their peers to attending funerals for your own peers. That is sobering and thought-provoking, and the pandemic has, of course, intensified this. I've seen quite a few couples who have decided they no longer wish to be married -- even people who have done a superficially great job of accumulating wealth and raising kids. The couples who have chosen to split are not as surprising to me as those who have chosen to stay together -- including some who were in the shoals for years. Personally, I have found new gratitude for my husband of nearly 30 years being in my life. One thing I've re-learned this year is that he's never boring. I hope he feels the same way about me.

I am 60 and yes to all of this.

In your 50s, you have to decide and act on the question of what the rest of your life will look like. What you want to accomplish, what matters, what doesn't matter. You do not want to waste time or energy on relationships or causes or activities that are not important to you.

Throughout life, you think you have time. At about 55, I realized that may not be true.

I'm the PP you're responding to and -- yes -- you put this very well. My favorite HS graduation gift -- for my kids, their friends, my nieces and nephews, and my godchildren -- is a magnet that says "Do more of what makes you happy." This year I got one of those for myself.

[Anonymous]

So are we just not going to talk about Ann Winblad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are we just not going to talk about Ann Winblad?

Since it’s not about her I don’t know why we would

[Anonymous]

It's actually about Melinda wanting to be more openly political. Bill is not as liberal as she is and doesn't share her interest in social justice issues. They were driving each other crazy during quarantine over the last year when they were forced to spend a lot of time together. They bought an oceanside house near San Diego (Del Mar) last year so they could be apart. They've had issues for a long time but the pandemic and their youngest leaving for college tipped them over the edge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's not act like this marriage was ever based on love. She was some MBA marketing striver—and let's be honest...conniver—working at Microsoft and he was already a multi-billionaire. She started banging her CEO. I guarantee she's just jealous of Jobs' widow and Bezos's ex, how they are blowing their husbands' billions, and she craves those same sort of PR puff pieces.

...or these high-powered divorces are just some scheme for the couples to dump tens of billions in stock and avoid Biden's tax raises.

I agree. It happened during the Enron debacle:
"Regarded by colleagues as prickly, Mr. Pai (pronounced "pie") was also known for running up large bills on the company expense account at strip clubs. His affair with an exotic dancer ended his marriage in 1999, and he sold most of his Enron shares to settle the divorce. Mr. Pai's take, more than $271 million, is the largest of any former Enron employee and has made him the target of several shareholder lawsuits."
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/businessspecial3/10-enron-players-where-they-landed-after-the-fall.html

Seems Pai is still very rich. One of his daughters (?) is an equestrian champion in a very posh Florida enclave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She comes across like a total ass in the Netflix doc. He can afford top drop her and I'm sure he'll be much happier.

Look at the top google searches for "melinda gates..."; millions of people google search asking if she's really a man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are we just not going to talk about Ann Winblad?

She was married to the Actor Kevin Kline's younger brother. That's all I got and the yearly visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are we just not going to talk about Ann Winblad?

She was married to the Actor Kevin Kline's younger brother. That's all I got and the yearly visit.

Winblad in 2008 (age 57)
Born November 1, 1950 (age 70)
Red Wing, Minnesota, U.S.
Education B.A., St. Catherine University
M.A., University of St. Thomas
Occupation Co-Founder and partner of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

Born Melinda Ann French
August 15, 1964 (age 56)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Duke University (BA, MBA)
Occupation Co-Chair and Founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who are calling Bill and Melinda elderly, I'm 55 and I'm fine with that. What I don't care for -- and think is sadly mistaken -- is assuming that people who are elderly don't want to have a relationship filled with love and caring and intimacy and fun. This past year has illuminated that for many people in their late 50s and up, even those of us who are long-married. While younger parents have had to focus on the challenges of working and child-rearing during the pandemic, we have been looking ahead and thinking about what we want the rest of our lives to look like.

In your 50s, as your kids start leaving home or even complete that transition, you have a lot of decisions and transitions to make. In addition, you go from attending funerals for your parents and their peers to attending funerals for your own peers. That is sobering and thought-provoking, and the pandemic has, of course, intensified this. I've seen quite a few couples who have decided they no longer wish to be married -- even people who have done a superficially great job of accumulating wealth and raising kids. The couples who have chosen to split are not as surprising to me as those who have chosen to stay together -- including some who were in the shoals for years. Personally, I have found new gratitude for my husband of nearly 30 years being in my life. One thing I've re-learned this year is that he's never boring. I hope he feels the same way about me.

I am 60 and yes to all of this.

In your 50s, you have to decide and act on the question of what the rest of your life will look like. What you want to accomplish, what matters, what doesn't matter. You do not want to waste time or energy on relationships or causes or activities that are not important to you.

Throughout life, you think you have time. At about 55, I realized that may not be true.

This is cool and really nice to hear. calling 55 elderly is ridiculous. 55 is party time for a lot of people who have kids almost done or done with college, more disposable income, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's actually about Melinda wanting to be more openly political. Bill is not as liberal as she is and doesn't share her interest in social justice issues. They were driving each other crazy during quarantine over the last year when they were forced to spend a lot of time together. They bought an oceanside house near San Diego (Del Mar) last year so they could be apart. They've had issues for a long time but the pandemic and their youngest leaving for college tipped them over the edge.

This sounds reasonable.