Melinda Gates previously said that she won’t be seeking spousal support from Bill Gates amid their divorce. This decision proved that she’s not after her ex-husband’s money.
But in its May 31 issue, National Enquirer claimed that this isn’t the case. After all, Melinda is allegedly running after some of Bill’s properties so that she could sell them for millions.
A source said that the former Microsoft CEO wants to live in his $43 million mansions in Del Mar, California so he’s willing to give Melinda their $147.5 million lakeside estates in Washington.
“He wants to keep it for their three children, but Melinda wants to sell it. It’s become a major sticking point in their negotiations,” the source said.
The insider added that Melinda wants to sell the property not because she wants to make some money but because she was never comfortable living in that house.
“It’s always been Bill’s place, and Melinda is adamant about getting rid of it. But he’s digging in his heels,” the source said.
Throughout their marriage, Bill acquired several other properties for his family. And since he and Melinda don’t have a prenup in place, they are allegedly having problems with how they will divide their assets.
The tabloid’s claims are contrary to the reports being made by more reputable sources. According to USA Today, Melinda even became a billionaire overnight shortly after she and Bill announced their divorce.
After all, Cascade Investment, Bill’s investment vehicle, transferred nearly $2.4 billion in securities to Melinda. As such, Bill’s net worth dropped from $130.4 to $128.1 billion.
More specifically, Melinda received 2.94 million shares from AutoNation, $14.1 million shares from Canadian National Railway Co., $25.8 million shares from Coca-Cola Femsa, and more.
Despite the recent changes in his net worth, Bill is still the fourth richest man in the world. According to Forbes, Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world with his $177 billion net worth.
Lagging closely behind Bezos is Elon Musk with his $157 billion net worth. And in third place is Bernard Arnault and his family with a combined net worth of $150 billion.
While it is true that Bill and Melinda are in the process of finalizing their divorce, it is not true that the couple is having problems with their assets and properties.
By the looks of it, they will divide the assets and properties equally between them and among their three children.