Article continues below advertisementBill Gates forked over a hefty sum to the private foundation of his ex-wife, Melinda Gates. Per a Friday, January 9, report by The New York Times, a new tax filing showed that the Microsoft co-founder made a $7.88 billion payment to Melinda's Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation in 2024. The couple went their separate ways in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Their divorce remains among one of the most expensive in history, with the estranged couple reaching an estimated $76 billion settlement.