Bill and Melinda Gates announced on Monday that they have decided to end their 27 year long marriage. The duo said that they would continue to work together for their philanthropic foundation even after separation. Melinda Gates, an author and a businesswoman, and her husband Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, announced their decision to end their marriage in an identical Twitter post. pic.twitter.com/padmHSgWGc — Bill Gates (@BillGates) May 3, 2021 The post said that the decision has been taken after a great deal of thought and working on the relationship. It stated that the ex-couple intended to work together for their foundation but could no longer grow together as a couple. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the statement read. “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.” said the statement. The couple, who met at Microsoft and married in Hawaii in 1994, asked for privacy. Bill Gates, 65, founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. His net worth stands at an estimated $130.5bn, according to Forbes, and he has donated $35.8bn worth of Microsoft stock to the couple’s foundation. He announced last year he would be stepping down from Microsoft’s board to focus full-time on his work as the foundation’s co-chair. Melinda Gates, 56, serves as the foundation’s co-chair and is the founder of Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company that focuses on advancing the interests of American women and families. Launched in 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private philanthropic foundation in the United States and one of the biggest in the world, with net assets of $43.3 billion at the end of in 2019, according to its website.