When the Gates close, something else opens

Henry VII never referred to his splitting up with his first wife Catherine of Aragon as ‘divorce’. Instead, he preferred the term the ‘Great Matter.’ For Bill Gates with his unambiguous Protestant work ethic has no problem calling the spade a spade. But for the rest of us, keen on money matters and with our eyes on power couples, the divorce of Bill and Melinda is indeed a great matter. There were valid reasons for Thomas Wolsey, Henry’s chief advisor, to be not keen that his boss went through with his divorce. Kings have power and pelf, which on the annulment of a marriage can be considerably reduced. Unlike Henry though, Bill’s divorce has come through without trouble, rancour or any (reported) beheading. Melinda and Bill announced that they parted ways on Monday because they had ‘stopped growing’ in their marriage — something that goes to show the kind of ambition that the richest, most driven of people harbour even in their personal lives.

Upon hearing of the Gates closing, in India, a record number of people reportedly Google-searched ‘Microsoft share prices’. Instead, what they should have noticed was Bill transferring stocks worth a few billion dollars to Melinda as a parting gift. After 27 years, the Gates’ nuptial foundation may have cracked. But, no matter. When rich people divorce, the assets are spread microsoftly enough.