Explained: Why Bill Gates sent $8 billion to his ex-wife’s charity — years after their divorce

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has transferred around $8 billion to a charity controlled by his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, nearly three years after their divorce.

The donation was made in late 2024 to the Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, which is run by Melinda. One of the largest publicly disclosed philanthropic transfers in recent years, the contribution was revealed through a recent tax filing by the charity, according to media reports.

A spokesperson for the foundation told Bloomberg that the transfer was part of a $12.5 billion financial agreement between Bill and Melinda Gates, which has now been fully honoured.

Before the donation became public, Bill Gates had an estimated net worth of $118 billion, while Melinda French Gates was worth around $17.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

In 2024, Pivotal Philanthropies distributed $875 million to a range of causes, including mental health resources for young people, efforts to reduce political violence, and initiatives supporting women in the workplace.

The tax filing lists three employees at the foundation: Melinda French Gates as director; her senior adviser, John Sage, as president and treasurer; and Brooke Anderson, president of the Pivotal LLC arm, as vice president and secretary.

Melinda formally stepped away from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in May 2024, ending decades of joint work in global health, education and poverty alleviation.

She launched the Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation in late 2022, a year after her divorce from Bill Gates. The organisation focuses on advancing women’s rights, advocating for paid family leave, promoting economic mobility, and working towards greater social equality.

The Gateses’ split followed revelations about Bill Gates’ past relationship with a Microsoft employee. In 2019, the woman sent a letter to Microsoft’s board detailing an affair that reportedly began in 2000 and requesting that Melinda be informed.

The Microsoft board investigated the allegations and described the relationship as “inappropriate”. During the probe, Bill Gates resigned from the company’s board in March 2020, saying he wanted to focus on his philanthropic work.