Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sent nearly $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, for charity work, according to a tax filing reviewed by The New York Times. The donation, made in 2024, instantly made her foundation one of the world’s largest nonprofits.
The pair announced their divorce in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. They subsequently split their philanthropic efforts, with French Gates resigning as co-chair of the Gates Foundation in May 2024. She wrote on X that under the terms of her agreement with Bill, she would have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to her work on behalf of women and families.
Most of that money has been allocated to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2022 as part of the broader group Pivotal, which French Gates founded in 2015. A spokesperson for Pivotal confirmed that the $12.5 billion commitment has been fulfilled, though it is unclear where the remaining $4.62 billion was allocated.
The Gates Foundation has spent $53.8 billion since 2000 on health, gender equality, global development and education. Before Gates’ donation was reported, his net worth was $118 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, while Forbes estimates French Gates’ net worth at $29.4 billion.
