Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce

Bill Gates, the third-richest man in the world, announced on Monday that he and his wife Melinda "have made the decision" to end their marriage. 

The American business magnate and co-founder of Microsoft said they "no longer believe" that they can grow as a couple. 

"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," part of Gates tweet read.

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— Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021

Despite the end of their marriage, Gates said they would continue to collaborate on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The pair have also invested vast sums of money in the search for a coronavirus vaccine and have donated to covid-19 treatment research. 

The Gates' have three children together.