Gates divorce

Melinda Gates could be set for the biggest divorce payout in history as she and her husband, Bill Gates, divide nearly US$150 billion ($209b) in assets. Their holdings include 98,000ha of farmland, a megamansion nicknamed “Xanadu 2.0”, shares in Microsoft, and Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook. The potentially colossal settlement could eclipse the current record of US$38b that Jeff Bezos paid to his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, two years ago. Gates is the world’s fourth-richest person, with an estimated fortune of US$146b, according to Bloomberg. When the couple married in 1994, he was worth less than US$10b, so an equal split could mean a settlement of up to US$68b.