Marking the end of an era, Melinda French Gates has resigned from the foundation she co-founded with former husband Bill Gates.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a major charitable and philanthropic force since it was founded in 2000. The foundation has spent $53.8 billion helping causes and communities around the globe. Throughout its history, Bill and Melinda Gates have been active, helping guide the foundation’s direction, even when the pair divorced in 2021.

In a post on X, Melinda Gates announced her resignation from the foundation:

After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. My last day of work at the foundation will be June 7th.

This is not a decision I came to lightly. I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world. I care deeply about the foundation team, our partners around the world, and everyone who is touched by its work.

I am taking this step with full confidence that the foundation is in strong shape with its extremely capable CEO Mark Suzman, the Executive Leadership Team, and an experienced board of trustees in place to ensure all its important work continues. The time is right for me to move forward into hte next chapter of my philanthropy.

This is a critical moment for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world—and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support. Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families. I’ll be sharing more about what that will look like in the near future.

Melinda French Gates

Bill Gates posting a copy of her announcement and added a statement of his own:

Interestingly, Bill Gates has previously said he does not see the foundation existing beyond the next couple of decades. In 2022, the tech icon said that “the goal for the foundation is to run for another 25 years.”

While Gates says the foundation “will keep making substantial progress on our mission,” only time will tell how Melinda’s departure impacts the foundation long-term.