To the surprise of virtually no one, the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce is more contentious than the whole “we can no longer grow as a couple” thing.

Details are just begging to come out.

Like this one: The couple intended to announce their divorce in March but the lawyers needed (a ton of) time to work through the complicated negotiations. 

It’s enough to drive someone to Grenada, which is where Melinda reportedly took the kids – and Bill was not on the invitation list.

Melinda, reports say, rented a private island for 132,000 per night with their kids – who are “furious” with their father over the split. TMZ sources on Thursday said Melinda with the couple’s three adult kids (Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe, 18) to Calivigny Island.  

It wasn’t clear what Bill did or said to summon the kids’ ire.

Just in case the family, minus Bill, wanted to fully enjoy their island rental, per the U.K.’s Daily Mail:

It has 25 suites, including a main house and three beach cottages. There are Michelin star chefs, private trainers, yoga teachers, yachts and water sports. And, hey, Justin Bieber rented it for his 21st birthday in 2015.  

In court papers, Melinda described the marriage as “irretrievably broken.” 

The Daily Mail wrote: “For years, he has spent one year a weekend away with his ex-girlfriend, venture capitalist Ann Winblad, in a romantic oceanfront North Carolina home. Melinda knew about the trips and gave them her blessing.”

The couple have $130 billion but no prenuptial agreement. The only hint of the division of assets will be seen in SEC filings about how many shares they own in public companies.

On Monday, an SEC filing showed Bill gave Melinda $1.5 billion worth of shares in the Canadian National Railway Company, as well as 2.9 million shares of AutoNation.  

Add comment