Bill and Melinda Gates divorce may change their €40bn charity foundation after all

Bill and Melinda Gates have 'reaffirmed their commitment to the foundation and continue to work together on behalf of [its] mission'. 

When Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced their surprise split after 27 years of marriage, they said there would be no changes to their $50bn (€40bn) foundation.

Now, about three weeks later, after revelations that Melinda considered divorce years earlier partly because of Bill’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and amid reports of his dubious behaviour at Microsoft, there are signs change is coming to one of the world’s most powerful philanthropic organisations.

Mark Suzman, the Gates Foundation’s chief executive officer, has told employees that he is in talks to strengthen “the long-term sustainability and stability of the foundation”. 

“I’m actively discussing with Bill and Melinda steps they and Warren might take,” Mr Suzman said, referring to billionaire Warren Buffett, the third member of the foundation’s board.

Mr Suzman said no decisions have been made, but added that Bill and Melinda have “reaffirmed their commitment to the foundation and continue to work together on behalf of our mission”. 

He also made clear “the foundation has never received any allegations of harassment regarding Bill.” 

It is the latest twist in what appears to be an increasingly acrimonious split.

Since the divorce announcement posted to Twitter, there have been reports that Bill Gates had an extramarital affair and pursued other office romances with employees at Microsoft. 

The media onslaught has sullied Mr Gates’s geeky techno philanthropist persona, and thrown into question whether the pair can work alongside each other without disrupting the operation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

There are currently just three trustees: Bill Gates, French Gates, and Mr Buffett, who has added more than $27bn of his own money to the foundation over the past 15 years. 

Any changes to the structure of the foundation could have a big impact on its focus.