Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

Melinda Gates could be angling to change kids’ $10M inheritance in split

Melinda Gates could be angling to change kids’ $10M inheritance in split

Divorce experts say there’s a clue in Melinda Gates’ blockbuster divorce filing that she’s angling to change her three children’s inheritance.

Maybe those poor Gates kids are getting more than $10 million after all.

Divorce experts say there’s a clue in Melinda Gates’ blockbuster divorce filing that she’s angling to change her three children’s inheritance — after her estranged husband, Bill Gates, has repeatedly said he’s leaving them a mere $10 million apiece.

Melinda has taken the highly unusual step — according to experts — of naming top trust and estate lawyers as her representatives in her divorce filing, along with the customary matrimonial legal eagles.

High-profile divorce attorneys Harriet Newman Cohen and Martha Cohen Stine point out that Melinda has “well-known trust and estate lawyers involved in the case,” and that it’s “most unusual for trust and estate lawyers’ names to be listed on a divorce filing.”

The move, the duo told Page Six in an interview, signals Melinda has potential plans for her family that diverge from Bill’s.

(The duo is not involved in the Gateses’ divorce, but their clients have collectively included Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the ex-wives of Harvey and Bob Weinstein, NBA star Paul George, Laurence Fishburne, Howard Stern’s ex-wife, Alison, and the former wife of Louis C.K.)

The move, the duo told Page Six in an interview, signals Melinda Gates has potential plans for her family that diverge from Bill’s.


Bill Gates has said his kids will get a “minuscule” portion of his vast wealth. Worth $130 billion, the Microsoft mogul plans to leave just $10 million to each of his kids — Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe, 18. During a past Reddit talk, the billionaire stated, “I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them,” and, “Some people disagree with this but Melinda and I feel good about it.”

Said Newman Cohen: “Bill Gates proudly announced to the world he was leaving $10 million to each of his three children, and that the rest of the billions will be left to charity … now that Melinda has control — maybe she wanted to leave more to her children than $10 million each. Maybe she didn’t agree.” She added that the fraction of funds to be left to the kids is “tantamount to disinheriting the children.”

Bill said he was only leaving his children $10 million apiece.

She also said, “We see divorces for the reason that the mother wants to protect the children. She may be like every other woman … protecting her children.”

Melinda said in her divorce filing that a separation agreement was in place, and sources say that if the parameters of the couple’s inheritance are not detailed in the pact, either party could change the amount their kids inherit. Inheritance is not usually addressed in such separation agreements.

Melinda is being repped by top divorce lawyer Robert Cohen of Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich — whose clients have included Michael Bloomberg and Ivana Trump. But she has also listed estate planning attorney Loretta Ippolito of Paul Weiss, as well as the firm’s Bruce Birenboim, who has repped Citigroup and the NFL. Reports have said she’s been meeting with lawyers since 2019.

Newman Cohen and Cohen Stine also say that the move for Melinda to divorce, and potentially change her kids’ inheritance, follows a trajectory of female empowerment increasingly expressed by the philanthropist.

Newman Cohen and Cohen Stine also say that the move for Melinda Gates to divorce, and potentially change her kids’ inheritance, follows a trajectory of female empowerment increasingly expressed by the philanthropist.

“Melinda’s decision to leave her husband — she’s the petitioner — doesn’t seem like a coincidence [given] that her youngest child turned 18,” they pointed out.

The pair also noted that in Melinda’s 2019 book, “The Moment of Lift,” Melinda writes about a confrontation years earlier with Bill over writing the annual letter for the couple’s foundation.

“Bill said the process we had for the Annual Letter had been working well for the foundation for years, and he didn’t see why it should change,” she wrote about asking her husband in 2013 if she could take a turn writing the letter. Ultimately, Bill allowed Melinda to only write a separate piece on contraception — while he again wrote the letter. Two years later, the letter was signed with both their names.

“He’s had to learn how to be an equal, and I’ve had to learn how to step up and be an equal,” Melinda wrote in the book.

Said Newman Cohen: “Gaining control in her share of the fortune, and coming out from under Bill’s shadow [is] the ultimate step for empowerment … The book talks about … themes of women’s empowerment. To me the ultimate step toward her own empowerment is divorcing her husband.”

Since the divorce filing, Bill and Melinda’s daughter, elder Jennifer, last week shared a sweet pic on Instagram with her dad. She also shared a picture with her mother and younger siblings on Mother’s Day, captioned, “Our queen, hero and mom-every day.”

Reports have said Melinda grew concerned about her husband Bill’s connection to late pedophile investor Jeffrey Epstein.

Bill and Melinda announced on May 3 they were getting divorced after 27 years of marriage by saying in a statement, “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.”

They added: “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives. We 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. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”

Reports have said Melinda grew concerned about her husband’s connection to late pedophile investor Jeffrey Epstein. Melinda had reportedly warned her tech-mogul husband that she was uncomfortable with Epstein after they met him in 2013 — the same year the Microsoft guru also allegedly flew on Epstein’s private jet from New Jersey to Palm Beach, Fla., according to flight records.

A spokesperson for Gates has previously said he stands by a 2019 statement that he met Epstein but “didn’t have any business relationship or friendship with him.”

Attorneys for Melinda did not return a request for comment.

Mother-daughter legal partners Newman Cohen and Cohen Stine this year launched a new firm, Cohen Stine Kapoor, with Ankit Kapoor.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×