Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce

Bill and Melinda Gates, two of the world's richest people, announced Monday they are divorcing after 27 years of marriage, saying "we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple".

"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they said in a statement posted to Twitter.

"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," it 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 the next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."

Their stunning announcement follows the recent divorce of Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, and his longtime wife, MacKenzie Scott.

The 65-year-old Gates, Microsoft's co-founder, still owns roughly 1.3 percent of Microsoft shares, according to Bloomberg. He is the fourth wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes, and is worth $124 billion.

▲ Melinda Gates smiles at her husband Bill Gates during the opening news conference for AIDS 2006, the XVI International AIDS conference in Toronto, in this Aug 13, 2006 file photo. Photo/Agencies

Melinda Gates, 56, has become an outspoken advocate on global health and equality for women.

The statement said that they will continue to work together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which they founded in 2000 and has an endowment of $50 billion.

The private philanthropic organization with about 1,600 staffers gives roughly $5 billion annually for research and advocacy to improve global health, combat climate change and bolster US education.

Melinda joined Microsoft as a product manager in 1987, and the two sat together at a business dinner that year in New York. They began dating, but as Bill told a Netflix documentary: "We cared a lot for each other, and there were only two possibilities: either, we were going to break up or we were going to get married."

▲ Philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates (L) and his wife Melinda talk, after being awarded Commanders of the Legion of Honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2017. Photo/Agencies

Melinda said she found Bill — methodical it seems even in matters of the heart — writing a list on a whiteboard with the "pros and the cons of getting married".

Bill Gates' net worth originated with Microsoft but shares of the software-maker now probably make up less than 20 percent of his assets, according to Bloomberg.

He has shifted much of his stake into the foundation over the years and his exact stake hasn't been disclosed since he left Microsoft's board last year.

Gates' biggest asset is Cascade Investments, a holding company he created with the proceeds of Microsoft stock sales and dividends.

Through Cascade, Gates has interests in real estate, energy and hospitality as well as stakes in dozens of public companies, including Canadian National Railway and tractor-maker Deere and Co, according to Bloomberg.

Last year, Gates also stepped down from the board of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by his close friend Warren Buffett.

In 2010, Buffett and the Gateses created the Giving Pledge, an effort to get wealthy individuals to commit to donate a majority of their money to charitable causes.

Reporter: Ai Heping