Jennifer Gates, the daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, has said the family has been going through "a challenging stretch of time". The statement comes as her parents announced their separation after a 27-year marriage.
Taking to Instagram, Jennifer Gates said, "I'm still learning how to best support my own process and emotions as well as my family members at this time and am grateful for the space to do so."
Refusing to comment on the divorce, the 25-year-old said, "I won’t personally comment further on anything around the separation, but please know that your kind words and support mean the world to me."
“Thank you for understanding our desire for privacy while we navigate the next phases of our lives,” she added.
Who is Jennifer Gates
Jennifer is an equestrian and medical student in her second year. The tech heiress is the eldest of the couple’s three children. She has two siblings -- brother Rory and sister Phoebe.
Jennifer graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with a degree in human biology. She then took a year off to focus on her equestrian career before going to Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York.
Jennifer Gates Net Worth
Bill Gates said on a Reddit Ask Me Anything segment In 2017 that his children would inherit only $10 million each, equivalent to less than 1 percent of his fortune. The Gates said he believed that leaving massive inheritance to children would not be favourable to them.
“Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking about this in 1986 before I met him and it made me think about it and decide he was right,” he said.
In January 2020, she announced that she was engaged to renowned Egyptian equestrian Nayel Nassar.
In an Instagram post, Jennifer said, "Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions.
"I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together. Yes, a million times over," she wrote on Instagram at that time.
Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce
In identical tweets, the Microsoft co-founder and his wife said they had made the decision to end their marriage of 27 years.
The couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programs in global health, gender equality, education and other causes.
"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts.
Gates married Melinda French on a golf course on the Hawaiian island of Lanai on January 1, 1994.
The family resides in Xanadu 2.0, an earth-sheltered mansion on the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington.