I really don’t think there is a big stigma with divorce today, not like years ago. I think my shock is because of my image of them as the happy successful power couple. Then when I realize this must not be true, my sadness is that they have been unhappy in their relationship.
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I think it’s more of a sadness aspect. When one has a good marriage it’s natural to wish that for everyone, esp those you really respect who you thought had one.
My parents divorced after 17 years. It wasn’t pretty at all and was a horrid time in my life (starting when I was 11). I don’t blame my mom though. I totally “get it.”
For any couple choosing to get divorced, I wish them well and hope it goes smoothly. The alternative sucks.
Let me say a lot of folks around here are in disbelief. B&M were a team. And there is worry that the foundation they have built is not going to be the same.
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Oh yes. Their money. We are a community property state. 
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Given their charitable activities and public image, they probably both realize that fighting over money would not be good for them, and they have so much money that they could fund luxurious living for both of them (separately) for the rest of their lives out of their pocket change.
The money they have means that they also do not have to worry about the CSS Noncustodial Profile for their kid in college.
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I think the laws can still reflect a stigma. In my state it’s more difficult in some ways to get a no-fault divorce. A couple who has been struggling and maybe living separate lives within a household for years cannot just quietly and mutually decide to dissolve their marriage relatively quickly on their own terms. To get a no-fault divorce the couple must have lived in separate residences and have obtained a legal separation for a full year. During that separation year they may not date, even casually (or do anything that may give off a perception of having a relationship) or else custody/the financial settlement may be negatively affected by the court’s decision. Otherwise, I think charging adultery, cruelty and mental health issues are the only other ways to divorce more quickly. I believe there are states where one spouse can simply say that the marriage is irreparably broken and the divorce can be final in six months, which seems reasonable.I think it’s horrible that two mature adults can’t be trusted to make decisions on their own behalf without blaming each other or having a judge scrutinize the most private details of their lives.
I don’t know if what I’ve read is accurate, but I’ve read Melinda had to argue with Bill to be considered equal wrt THEIR foundation. Ex: he wanted only his signature on the newsletter and she insisted on both signatures. Maybe she is tired of this uphill battle.
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It is always sad to see the dissolution of a marriage – especially when it plays out in the public eye. I admire B&M for using a great deal of their fortune to try to help others and make the world a better place. I hope the divorce will be resolved quickly and as painlessly as possible and that they both go on to find happiness.
Guess money can’t buy love.
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WRT divorce being sad, I said to my friend when she told me she was divorcing, oh, I’m sorry that’s sad, and she replied, no it’s not, we will both be happier.
I wish the best for both Gates.
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What state are you in?
In Michigan, I know couples that have lived in the same house the entire time they were divorcing.
My sil moved out of their home and within 2 months papers were filed. She moved into a temporary living situation and is now moving back into the family home until it sells. My bil never moved out.
We are very sad about the divorce, but we didn’t know what was going on. I think that both parties will be happier. For me it’s a loss of someone who was in my life for 30+ years.
One of my friends got divorced at 70! She remarried about a year and a half after. He has a girlfriend. Both new partners are very nice and both I have to admit are a better fit for them.
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I’ll PM you…I don’t like to pinpoint that other than the general region.
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https://www.seattletimes.com/business/bill-and-melinda-gates-divorce-could-shake-up-philanthropy/
There are signs that changes are coming to the ways the foundation operates.
Surprisingly good article on why seemingly happy couples break up:
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My H and I were friends with an older couple who we admired-- I worked with the woman and we (both couples) socialized a few times a year – they seemed gloriously in love, their grown children were all doing well, they were successful etc…a relationship/scenario H and I aspired to when we were their age (which we are now LOL)…and then one day my friend told me they were getting divorced…you could have knocked me over with a feather…her comment was “you never know what goes on behind closed doors”…after that no divorce has shocked me. (FWIW they are both happy with new spouses).
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They already have a separation contract in place. Less likely to have drama/disputes. Being 4th richest person in the world likely helps: Oh, why don’t you take the last 10 billion; I have all I need already. Plus we are both committed to giving most of it away in any event. 
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/05/success/melinda-and-bill-gates-separation-contract/index.html
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With a 66,000 ft^2 house that has 7 bedrooms, 6 kitchens, 24 bathrooms, and multiple garages, could both of them still live there without ever having to come in contact with each other?
But the house’s value is only about 0.1% of their net worth.
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It is an ugly house… I bet it will stay with Bill. 
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/who-gets-xanadu-2-0-the-gates-family-mansion/
We all LOLed back then when Bill appealed his compound’s assessment…
https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1997/09-26/0007_new_home__gates_questions_house_a.html
I suspect that cheating occurred–someone probably brought an Apple computer into the relationship.
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I’m laughing my head off. Our local paper went line, hook, and sinker for someone’s crazy story that Melinda bought a house in Seattle. OMG, that was so ridiculous, and the story was quickly yanked off the site but not before I was able to see the description. It was then not that hard to find the house in question and locate all public records that go with it.
Who thinks a celebrity or a prominent public figure would buy a property in their own name? Trusts and other instruments exists exactly for these specific purposes.
So if you see a headline that Melinda bought a Craftsman in Portage Bay - it is pure baloney. 
Look up the deed.
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