Major funders call for increased support of Black feminists
The need to increase funding for Black feminist organizations is urgent, according to an open letter from some of philanthropyโs most influential organizations โ including Melinda Gatesโ Pivotal Ventures, Rihannaโs Clara Lionel Foundation, as well as the Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation โ released Thursday.
WHO moves to roll out first malaria vaccine in Africa
As the World Health Organization announces the next step in its rollout of the worldโs first authorized malaria vaccine in three African countries, concerns about its value have come from an unlikely source: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, arguably the vaccineโs biggest backer.
Melinda French Gates Says Jeffrey Epstein Helped Break Up Marriage to Bill
Ludovic Marin/AFP via GettyMelinda French Gates acknowledged in an interview on Thursday that her divorce from Bill Gates came about in part because of his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.โIt was many things. But I did not like that heโd had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein,โ she told CBS Morningsโ Gayle King. โI made that clear to him.โFrench Gates said she met the sex offender โexactly one time, because I wanted to see who this man was. And I regretted it from the sec
news.yahoo.comMelinda French Gates to no longer give bulk of wealth to Gates Foundation
Billionaire, who divorced from Bill Gates last year, to seek โnew partners, ideas and perspectivesโ outside philanthropic fund The billionaire French Gates wrote in her open letter: โThe ultimate goal of any philanthropist should be to render the need for philanthropy obsolete.โ Photograph: Isa Harsin/Sipa/Rex/Shutterstock Melinda French Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will no longer be pledging the majority of her wealth to the philanthropic organization. According t
news.yahoo.com$15B from Gates, French Gates tops 2021 biggest gift list
It was a healthy year for big gifts to charitable causes in 2021, a year that saw one of the largest multibillion-dollar contributions in more than a decade, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The power philanthropists Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced in May that they were divorcing and then gave a jaw-dropping $15 billion to their foundation in July. The money will bolster its endowment and support the grant makerโs work in global health, development, policy and advocacy, and U.S. education well into the future.
news.yahoo.comBill Gates and Melinda French Gates finalize their divorce
The divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates has been finalized. The Microsoft co-founder and his wife announced in May they were ending their 27-year marriage and on Monday a King County Superior Court judge signed the dissolution decree. Bill Gates was formerly the worldโs richest person and his fortune is estimated at about $150 billion.
news.yahoo.com$40B pledged for gender equality, with $2B from Gates group
The U.N.-sponsored global gathering for gender equality generated about $40 billion in pledges towards aiding women and girls on Wednesday, partly fueled by a significant $2.1 billion contribution from Bill and Melinda Gatesโ namesake foundation. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it will spend the money in the next five years on health and family planning programs, economic empowerment projects and other initiatives. The pledge was made in tandem with the Generation Equality Forum convened by UN Women in Paris, where private donors, government officials and civil society leaders are meeting to make financial and political commitments for gender equality worldwide.
news.yahoo.comBiden administration extends eviction ban for another month
The Biden administration has extended the nationwide ban on evictions for a month to help tenants who are unable to make rent payments duringย the coronavirus pandemic, but it said this is expected to be the last time it does so.
news.yahoo.comBill and Melinda Gates might shake up their charity to protect it after their divorce, which could include bringing in outside directors, according to a report
Melinda French Gates is said to have pushed for governance changes at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to protect it following the divorce.
news.yahoo.comBill Gates' money manager reportedly told a Black employee she lived 'in the ghetto,' made sexual comments about female colleagues, and was accused of exposing himself to a bike-shop manager
Former employees at the Gates' money management firm accused Michael Larson of judging female employees on attractiveness, the NYT reports.
news.yahoo.comTexas will likely allow people to carry handguns without a license
The Texas lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would allow people 21 and older to carry handguns without a license, or the accompanying background check and training, the Associated Press reports. Why it matters: Once signed, Texas will be the 19th state to allow permitless carry, per the Austin American Statesman.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbot's desk for signing, which he has indicated he will do. Texas already has some of the loosest gun restrictions in the country. The big picture: This would apply provided the owner "as long as they donโt have violent crime convictions or some other legal prohibition in their background," though it's not clear how this will be determined without background checks currently part of the licensing process.Of note: Gun control groups have opposed the measure, pointing to Texas' history of mass shootings, per AP.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
news.yahoo.comWhen rich people divorce: what does the future hold for Bill and Melinda Gates?
The pairโs split has been the subject of fevered press scrutiny โ and claims of Billโs links to Jeffrey Epstein has fed the frenzy Bill and Melinda Gates in 2018. The couple were not able to avoid the fate of many of the mega-rich who divorce. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Robin Hood The announcement that Bill and Melinda Gates were to divorce was amicable enough, suggesting a smooth split between the famous couple who turned a billion-dollar software fortune into a driving force for global philanthropy. โAfter a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,โ Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates tweeted on 3 May. โWe continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.โ While French Gatesโ divorce petition, filed in King county, Washington superior court, said โthis marriage is irretrievably brokenโ , it also indicated that potential points of contention had already been worked out. The document revealed they had inked a โseparation contractโ. French Gates asked the court to divide their assets according to this agreement and said that โspousal support is not neededโ. French Gates did not request a name change. But the couple were not able to avoid the fate of many of the mega-rich who divorce and their marriage became the subject of feverish press scrutiny. Within a few days rival news publications swapped scoops about Gatesโs allegedly boorish behavior, including stories on his purported ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Wall Street Journal reported Microsoft executives determined that Gates โneeded to step down from its board in 2020โ while they conducted an investigation into an affair that he had with a female employee. This romantic relationship was โdeemed inappropriateโ. Gates stepped down from his position as a director on the board before its investigation concluded โ and before other members could issue a formal decision on this relationship, reported the newspaper. โThere was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably,โ a spokesperson for Gates commented, saying his โdecision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter.โ There were at least several occasions when Gates โpursued women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,โ the New York Times claimed, citing people with โdirect knowledge of his overturesโ. French Gates had also voiced discomfort that Gates was spending time with Epstein โ whom he reportedly met in early 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor, reports claimed. A month after Epstein killed himself in jail in August 2019, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Gates where he said: โI didnโt have any business relationship or friendship with him.โ But the Times reported in October 2019 that Gates met with Epstein โon numerous occasionsโ. โHis lifestyle is very different and kind of intriguing, although it would not work for me,โ Gates allegedly said in an email to colleagues after he first met Epstein. French Gates was โunhappyโ when Gates and Epsteinโs relationship hit the news cycle, the newspaper said. The Journal reported that French Gates โheld a number of callsโ when the Times article ran. The Times explained that French Gates began consulting with matrimonial attorneys and advisers who would aid the couple in splitting their assets. The Daily Beast reported on 16 May that Epstein provided Gates advice on ending his marriage after the tech titan complained about Melinda โduring a series of meetings.โ Gates allegedly said that his marriage was โtoxicโ in conversation with Epstein, โa topic both men found humorousโ, per the Daily Beast report. Less sensational details on the coupleโs travails also emerged. The New York Post, quoting a source, reported โBill did talk to his close friends on the golf course. He told them a while back that the marriage was loveless, that it had been over for some time and they were living separate lives.โ A source told the New York Times that anyone observing French Gatesโ body language at some public events, such as philanthropic functions, could tell that she was unhappy. A media representative for Gates said in an email: โClaims that Gates had any personal conversations with Epstein in these meetings, which were about philanthropy, is simply not true.โ โIt is false to say Gates sought or received marital advice โ or advice of any kind โ from Epstein,โ the email stated. โIt is false to say he complained about his marriage or Melinda to Epstein, let alone to anyone else.โ They also said, โIt is false to say that going to Epsteinโs was a โrespite from his marriage.โโ They said that itโs โfalse to say there was ever any discussion of Epstein getting involved with the Gates Foundation.โ A foundation spokesperson commented โthe foundation never had any financial dealings with Jeffrey Epsteinโ. Neither French Gatesโ attorneys, nor the press contact provided for her, responded to requests for comment. Although sensational claims have emerged, observers shouldnโt assume that this will impact their separation contract for their split, divorce experts say. โNo matter what the drama is thatโs now evolving or erupting in the media or anywhere else, and even by rumor mill, the agreement is basically going to be the agreement,โ said Bonnie Rabin, a veteran divorce attorney in New York City. โThey did what most uber-wealthy people do. Theyโve been dealing with this for a number of months, theyโve made their agreement, theyโve submitted it to the court. Itโs basically a done deal.โ Nancy Chemtob, a longtime matrimonial attorney in New York City, said that given the amount of money involved and the length of their marriage, it stands to reason that itโs likely a โ50-50 caseโ in terms of splitting up assets. But itโs unclear how, exactly, the divorce will affect their foundation. Nor is that a small issue. The Gates Foundation has become a global force in philanthropy, especially in the areas of fighting disease. But it also tackles poverty and inequality with many projects all around the globe. The foundation has provided financial support for some of the Guardianโs global development coverage. A media representative said in an email that the pair will remain co-chairs and trustees at the foundation. โNo changes to their roles or the organization are planned,โ the statement said. โThey will continue to work together to shape and approve foundation strategies, advocate for the foundationโs issues, and set the organizationโs overall direction.โ โFundamentally, itโs a separate entity from their personal money or their wealth, so itโs not as if the foundation is going to be divided up in the divorce,โ said Thad Calabrese, an associate professor of financial management at NYU Wagner. The entity of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will continue to exist โ the money thatโs there is there, and they canโt remove it. However, it is possible that the divorce might affect their future contributions to the foundation, or start to focus on different areas of interest, Calabrese said. Even though Gates has not been accused of wrongdoing with Epstein, itโs always possible that reports of alleged ties could impact the foundation. โThereโs alway a concern, and not just for foundations but in the larger non-profit sector, that the appearance of impropriety can sometimes be just as bad as actual impropriety itself,โ Calabrese said. โSo the concern that this could scare away future donors from the foundation, or the foundation having a diminished role because of that, is a real possibility.โ
news.yahoo.comBill Gates reportedly transferred another $850 million in shares to Melinda, taking total transfers since their divorce to nearly $4 billion
Bill Gates transferred $850 million in Deere stock to Melinda French Gates, the Wall Street Journal reported - about 7% of his stake in the company.
news.yahoo.comMelinda French Gates reportedly hired trust and estate lawyers in her divorce from Bill Gates, an 'unusual' move signaling that she could tweak their 3 kids' $10 million inheritance
Experts told Page Six that having estate lawyers in divorce filings was unusual and could lead to a change in the Gates kids' $10 million inheritance.
news.yahoo.com