Bill and Melinda Gates: a duo undone

Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder-turned philanthropist, and his wife Melinda are divorcing after a 27-year-marriage, the couple said in a joint statement Monday. The announcement from one of the world's wealthiest couples, with an estimated net worth of some US$130bil, was made on Twitter. — AFP

WASHINGTON: From muddy streets in South Africa’s townships to cocktail parties at Davos – Bill and Melinda Gates came as a pair.

Together, they built a charitable empire through Bill’s technology company Microsoft and the massive non-profit they co-founded and co-chair, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.