The Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce update

For those looking into divorce, they have likely come upon news about the epic Bill and Melinda Gates divorce drama. While the beginning of the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce seemed relatively amicable, as the process has progressed, the marriage has taken a turn with reports of affairs, non-disclosure agreements and private investigators.

The marriage

The divorce happens after 27 years of marriage and a storied partnership. The pair met at Microsoft and married soon after. Melinda worked her way up to the upper levels of Microsoft and now runs an investment firm, along with operating a charitable foundation with Bill. From most public accounts, the marriage was happy and produced two children.

Inside Microsoft

While the Gates divorce has splashed across all news outlets, inside Microsoft, it was only discussed in hushed tones. There was no formal discussion, no internal meetings and no mass e-mails. Some insiders actually said the split had little to no effect on the operations of Microsoft because Bill has essentially not run the company since 2008 to run his charity.

The divorce update

Reports are coming out that some in Melinda’s inner circle are now working with private investigators. Additional reports from current and past employees are now also surfacing that Bill was hard to work with (demanding, demeaning, etc.) and may have actually had an affair with an undisclosed employee, along with allegations of inappropriate behavior with female Microsoft employees. Though, these employees are blocked from testifying for Melinda because of NDAs (nondisclosure agreements). These current and former employees know Bill’s attorneys are ready if they choose to violate their NDAs.

The takeaways

For Monroe, North Carolina, residents thinking about divorce, they be thinking, what can I take away from the Bill and Melinda Gates saga. In essence, it is the same thing we can usually take away from most celebrity divorces, things can devolve quickly. This is why it is so important to have a divorce attorney. An attorney can help take some of the emotion out of the process and help cooler heads prevail.