Bill Gates has opened up about how he and his ex-wife Melinda divided their wealth following their divorce.
After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda announced their separation in May last year to widespread surprise.
The couple’s net worth was estimated to be around $148 billion (£118bn) when they announced their split, and with no prenuptial agreement in place, dividing up their assets could easily have become acrimonious.
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In a candid new interview with the Sunday Times, the Microsoft co-founder opened up about how they divvied up their wealth.
He said: “We spent some time coming up with a fair settlement that we both signed. But neither of us was facing any real reduction in our consumption.”
Discussions mostly focused on the amount of cash each could keep for their charitable donations.
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He continued: “It was more about, OK, I’ll have x billion to give away, you’ll have y billion to give away. It was about the causes.”
When asked if there was anything he insisted on keeping for himself, he simply said: “I have a super nice house.”
He added: “She got the dog. She just killed me with that. No, I’m kidding. The world should know how mistreated I was.
"No, I’m kidding. We weren’t mean to each other.”
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Melinda recently told CBS broadcaster Gayle King that she no longer considers Bill her friend.
She said: “We certainly have a working relationship. We are friendly at this point. Friends is a different word for me. That might come over time but for me there is still healing that needs to happen.
“I wish him well. I certainly don't wish him any harm.”
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When asked if he would consider Melinda his friend, Bill responded: “I would say that. In an interview she chose not to use that word, but I’ll use it.
“We have a, you know, super important, complex, close relationship where we’ve chosen to work together."
Gates also responded to Melinda’s criticism that he held meetings with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who Melinda described as ‘abhorrent, evil personified’, adding that she had nightmares after meeting him.
Epstein attended Gates’ fundraising dinners on multiple occasions beginning in 2013, after the former had been convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
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Gates said of the meetings: "At the time, I didn’t realise that by having those meetings it would be seen as giving him credibility. You’re almost saying, ‘I forgive that type of behaviour,’ or something.
“So clearly the way it’s seen, I made a huge mistake not understanding that.”
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Topics: Bill Gates, US News, Money
Simon Fearn