Melinda’s Massive Payday: The shocking cost of the Gates’ final split
Nearly five years after Bill and Melinda French Gates announced they were separating, new financial records have revealed just how much money Melinda has received to support her work on her own.
Recent reports describe the sums as “shocking”, with the total reaching around $12.5 billion (£9.8 billion). This money was paid to Melinda after she left the charity she once ran jointly with Bill Gates, the Gates Foundation.
How the money was paid
When the couple divorced in 2021, Melinda already received billions in shares and property. However, this latest money is separate and is meant specifically to fund her own charitable work.
Public tax documents released in January 2026 show the following:
$8 billion payment: In 2024, Bill Gates transferred $7.88 billion to Melinda’s private foundation, Pivotal Philanthropies.
The remaining amount: The rest of the agreed $12.5 billion is thought to have been transferred to her private company, Pivotal Ventures. This company does not have to publish detailed financial records.
Overall wealth: By 2026, experts estimate Melinda’s personal fortune is now around $30 billion, making her one of the richest and most powerful women in the world.
Why this money is coming out now
These large figures are only appearing now because of an agreement the couple made when they first split.
The deal: After announcing their separation, Bill and Melinda agreed to keep working together at the foundation for a three-year trial period.
The decision: In May 2024, Melinda chose to step away from the foundation. This triggered a clause requiring Bill to give her extra funding for her independent work.
The outcome: The charity is now called simply the Gates Foundation, and Melinda has taken her funding to focus mainly on women’s rights and gender equality.
A complete financial split
For many years, the Gates fortune was seen as one combined effort. These payments mark the final financial separation between the two.
Bill Gates continues to focus on global health and climate issues through the Gates Foundation. Melinda, meanwhile, is using her wealth to support social movements and political causes, particularly in the United States.
By British standards, the size of this settlement is extraordinary. It is far larger than almost any divorce settlement in UK history and leaves Melinda completely financially independent from her former husband.
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