Bill Gates Makes Melinda a Billionaire on Day of Divorce Filing, Translator Denies Being Homewrecker

The Microsoft founder reportedly transferred $1.8 billion worth of stocks to his estranged wife on the same day they announced the end of their 27-year marriage.

AceShowbiz –
Melinda Gates lost a husband but gained a lot of wealth at the same time. The philanthropist reportedly has become a billionaire after Bill Gates transferred nearly $2 billion worth of stocks to her on the same day of their divorce filing.

Per TMZ’s report, the Microsoft founder transferred millions of shares in two companies to his estranged wife on Monday, May 3, the day they announced the end of their 27-year marriage. Bill’s investment firm Cascade Investment LLC handled the transfer, with more than 14 million shares of Canadian National Railway Co. and more than 2.9 million shares of AutoNation Inc going to Melinda’s pocket.

Based on Wednesday’s stock prices, the shares are worth north of $1.8 billion. The Canadian National Railway shares are valued at $1.53 billion, while the AutoNation shares are estimated at around $310 million.

The ex-couple reportedly did not have a prenuptial agreement, but they signed a separation agreement ahead of the divorce filing. The stock transfer suggests that they had the asset division arranged ahead of their divorce announcement.

Meanwhile, a translator who works for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spoken up amid wild speculation that suggested she was involved in the divorce. Zhe “Shelly” Wang, who has worked as an interpreter for the foundation since March 2015, denied that she had a special relationship with Bill or Melinda.

Taking to Chinese social media site Weibo, she wrote, “I thought that the rumors would go away by themselves, but I did not expect the rumors to become more and more crazily spread.” The 36-year-old interpreter added, “How many books can I read, so why spend time on the unfounded rumors?”

“I would like to thank everyone for their concern and help in dispelling the rumors through private messages in the past 24 hours,” Shelly thanked her supporters, before sharing a link to a story titled “#Gates divorce, some vicious people rumor to vilify an innocent Chinese girl.”