For Bill Gates, 2021 was far from a breeze.
The Microsoft founder, 66, opened up about the tough year he's endured in his blog on Tuesday, revealing that this year was the "most difficult" one of his entire life.
Earlier this year, the tech magnate and his wife of 27 years, Melinda, announced in a joint statement on social media that they had filed for divorce.
The Microsoft cofounder opened up in his year-in-review post on GatesNotes about the struggles he faced over the past year, writing: "I know a lot of people are curious about a subject closer to home: my divorce."
Gates said he couldn't deny that "it's been a year of great personal sadness for me."
The billionaire said that he and his ex-wife were still running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and that they've found a "good new working rhythm."
Gates said having days without any human interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic, was a "strange and disorientating experience."
He continued: "My personal world has never felt smaller than it did over the last twelve months," adding that he's "officially an empty nester" after two of his children recently left home.
"I had stretches of time without any face-to-face social interaction" until getting vaccinated, he said. "If I had a break between meetings, I'd walk around my yard just to see something different."
After announcing his divorce from Melinda back in May, the tech magnate said he is proud of what the pair 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:
"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."
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.