The couple - who married in 1994 - announced on Monday they are to divorce, and it has now been revealed the Microsoft co-founder gave Melinda shares in two companies on the same day.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Bill - who has an estimated net worth of more than $124-billion - transferred more than 14 million shares of Canadian National Railway Co., worth around $1.53-billion, and more than 2.9 million shares of AutoNation, worth around $310-million, via his investment firm, Cascade Investment.
The pair - who have three children together, 21-year-old son Rory, and daughters Jennifer, 25, and Phoebe, 18 - announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage in a joint statement. It 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 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.
In 2000, they launched the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic organisation which strives to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty across the globe.
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_Lifestyle A true gentleman then.