Three years after a private divorce agreement in 2021, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is still giving stock to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, whom he was married to for 27 years. Last Tuesday, French Gates announced that she received an extra $1.2 billion in stock from a public company, bringing her total wealth to about $30.2 billion as of 2:15 PM Eastern time that day. This makes her the 12th richest woman in the world.
Gates, whose net worth is now around $105.9 billion, also gave French Gates a 7.1% share in the automotive retailer AutoNation, valued at $470 million. He still holds an 18% share in the company, worth $1.2 billion.
French Gates Increases Wealth and Plans More Charity Work
French Gates also got a 1% share in the Canadian National Railway Company, worth $690 million. This is on top of the 1.6% stake she already had from the divorce settlement. Forbes estimates that Bill Gates now owns a 0.4% share in the company, valued at $300 million. (Gates no longer needs to report his share transactions since he fell below the SEC’s reporting limit in 2022. Representatives for both Gates and French Gates did not respond to requests for comments.)
It’s not clear if this recent stock gift is part of the $12.5 billion that French Gates said she would receive after stepping down as co-chair of the Gates Foundation in June, following nearly 24 years in the role. Details about how that transfer will work have not been shared, and representatives for both Gates and French Gates did not comment.
Together, Gates and French Gates have donated over $45 billion to charitable causes throughout their lives, focusing mainly on health and reducing poverty, according to Forbes. This amount is second only to Warren Buffett, who has given more than $59.9 billion to charity, mostly through the Gates Foundation.
French Gates has ambitious plans for her charitable contributions. In May, she pledged to donate $1 billion over three years to support women’s and girls’ rights. In 2022, she also invested $674 million into a new foundation called Pivotal Philanthropies. It’s expected that she will continue to give more through that foundation in the future.
Conclusion
Bill Gates is still helping Melinda French Gates financially after their divorce, which has increased her wealth. She plans to give a lot to charity, including a $1 billion pledge for women’s rights. French Gates aims to make a difference through her new foundation and other giving efforts.
