Bill Gates fell out of the list of the world’s richest persons.
Bill Gates consistently ranked as either the richest or second-richest person in America from 1990 to onward. However, his position dropped to No. 9 on the list of the wealthiest individuals in the U.S in 2023.
Despite still holding a substantial fortune of $107 billion, his net worth fell by $4 billion over the past year.
Globally, Gates is now ranked No. 12 among billionaires, marking the first time he has fallen out of the top ten since 1991.
The reason behind this decline is Bill Gates 2021 divorce from Melinda French Gates, which ended their 27-year marriage.
After divorce Melinda announced that she would step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She further revealed plans to receive an additional $12.5 billion for her philanthropic efforts. This transfer didn’t come from the Gates Foundation but from Bill Gates himself, and it seems the funds have already been given to her.
The estimated divorce settlement has increased significantly, with Melinda French Gates’ net worth now at $29 billion, up from $10.3 billion last year.
This made Melinda as the ninth-richest woman in the U.S. However, Both Gates and French Gates didn’t give any statement on the specifics of their settlement.
Bill Gates has acknowledged that his wealth ranking will likely continue to drop over time.
He also hinted that he and Melinda might not work together in the future, although the Gates Foundation plans to operate for another 25 years.
Melinda, through her organization Pivotal Ventures, has dedicated $2 billion to empowering women and enhancing their influence.
She also founded the Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, which has already been endowed with $674 million.
