The writer is an associate professor of organisational behaviour at Insead
It’s a familiar story. Two people meet at work. They fall in love, start a family and keep working together. But as years become decades, they drift apart. The break-up is complicated, inevitable, painful, but liberating perhaps. It would hardly be newsworthy — unless a $124bn fortune is involved and you are co-leaders of the world’s most powerful philanthropic foundation.
While it’s hard to know what leads a couple to end their marriage, in their public statement Bill and Melinda Gates drew on familiar language. They no longer believe that they “can grow together” but will continue to “work together to shape and approve foundation strategies”. That is not uncommon for working couples who separate. While they might no longer love each other, they still love their shared projects. It’s the professional version of remaining committed to doing the best for the children.