The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Sold All Its Shares of Apple and Twitter Right Before the Billionaire Couple Announced Their Divorcefoundation's trust sold the shares for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Weeks before Bill and Melinda Gatesannounced their divorcein early May, the foundation bearing their names sold off hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of stock in Apple and Twitter.

Securities and Exchange Commission filings from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,first reported by Barron'son Sunday, revealed that the foundation's trust had sold its entire stakes in Apple and Twitter as of the end of March.

Related:Bill Gates Resigned From Microsoft Board During Investigation of Alleged Affair with Employee, Reports

Since the divorce announcement,about $4 billion in stock has been transferred from Bill to Melinda. Bill is one of the world's richest people, witha net worth estimated at about $146 billion.

Bill and Melinda据说没有一个婚前协议and are relying on a "separation contract" to divide assets. A prenuptial agreement establishes a contractual agreement in the event of a divorce, but a separation contract is less formal — it's a legal agreement that stipulates each party's rights and obligations, like child support and custody, that doesn't involve a court.

Related:Bill Gates Is Reportedly Hiding Out in Billionaires' Golf Club

The Gateses' divorce filingsaid their marriage was "irretrievably broken"and asked that their assets be split according to the separation contract.

Related:Melinda Gates Sought a Divorce Since 2019 Due to Bill's Meetings with Jeffrey Epstein: WSJ