After Bill Gates and his wife Melinda announced news of their divorce on April 3, it emerged that the pair reportedly did not have a prenup in place. <a href="https://dam.tmz.com/document/96/o/2021/05/03/9614c3c36f7c48d6aab9ec0c7e7f8932.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Court documents</a> obtained by <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/03/bill-melinda-gates-divorce-27-years-marriage-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a> reveal that the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement prior to their wedding, despite their billion-dollar net worth. Per <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/03/bill-melinda-gates-divorce-27-years-marriage-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a>, it was Melinda who pulled the plug on their 27-year marriage as she filed for divorce from the Microsoft founder. Melinda, 56, wrote that the marriage was "irretrievably broken" when she was forced to provide a reason for the split, the publication reports. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1389316412259270657]]  The document, which was filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle, notes that Bill and Melinda had a "separation agreement," but not a prenup. A separation agreement is usually signed at the end of a marriage and lays out the terms of the split and the reason behind it. And while that contract wasn't included in the pair's divorce filing, it's set to be a key factor in dictating how the couple will divide up their assets. According to the <a href="https://dam.tmz.com/document/96/o/2021/05/03/9614c3c36f7c48d6aab9ec0c7e7f8932.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a>, Melinda is not requesting spousal support. Bill and Melinda - who share a net worth of well over $100 billion - posted a <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1389316412259270657" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint statement</a> on social media on May 3 as they announced their divorce. <img class="wp-image-1263105785 size-large" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/05/2FKRM8F-1024x676.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="676" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Geoffrey Robinson / Alamy]] Bill said he is proud of what he and Melinda have achieved over nearly three decades but admits they can't continue into the next phase of their life as a couple. The statement read: <blockquote>"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. "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. "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. "We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life."</blockquote> The pair met in the late 1980s when Melinda joined her soon-to-be husband's Microsoft firm. They tied the knot in January 1994 and went on to welcome three children. <h6>Featured image credit: Xinhua / Alamy</h6>

Bill Gates and wife Melinda reportedly do not have a prenup, according to court docs

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