Bill and Melinda Gates shocked the world when they announced their heartbreaking decision to end their marriage, in what's likely to become one of the most expensive divorces in history.
Announcing the news in a joint statement, the couple reflected on their 27 year partnership, their three "incredible" children and their charity work.
Microsoft founder Bill, 65, met Melinda, 56, in 1987 - the same year he became the world'd youngest billionaire.
Melinda was working at the tech company, which he founded three years earlier, as a project manager and they were seated next to each other as as a business dinner.
In her biography The Moment of Lift, she wrote: "I showed up late, and all the tables were filled except one, which still had two empty chairs side by side. I sat in one of them. A few minutes later, Bill arrived and sat in the other."
They dated for a year before the subject of marriage came up but Bill wasn't sure.
Speaking during a Netflix show, he said: "You know, 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."
The billionaire had "trouble" deciding if he actually wanted to get married and even made a pro and con list on a white board.
His doubts didn't come from the relationship with Melinda itself, but his concerns that he wouldn't be able to dedicate the time needed to make a marriage work.
Speaking to The Times in 2019, Melinda said: "When he was having trouble making the decision about getting married, he was incredibly clear that it was not about me, it was about ‘Can I get the balance right between work and family life?’ "
But they decided to give it a go and tied the knot in a stunning ceremony on a golf course in Hawaii in 1994.
Melinda explains that while he's easy to live with they had to work hard on their marriage. She also wrote of her loneliness in the early years in her biography.
She told the newspaper: "He needs a little training, and he’d tell you that too."
On their 25th wedding anniversary Melinda shared a throwback video to their wedding day with the caption: "I thought my heart was full that night, but the last 25 years have taught me just how full a heart can get."
However she admits things weren't easy behind closed doors, adding: "We’ve just gotten to a point in life where Bill and I can both laugh about more things. And, believe me, I can remember some days that were so incredibly hard in our marriage where you thought, ‘Can I do this?’”
She also recalls a frustrating day which saw her packing up the car and sorting out the children alone as he wouldn't stop reading a book about Winston Churchill.
However the couple are splitting on good terms and shared a moving joint statement.
It stated: "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 to work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives."
The couple have three children, Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe 18, and a reported wealth of $130billion.
