Bill and Melinda Gates are ending their 27-year marriage. But they're going to keep working together

"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," their statement said. 

"Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives. 

"We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives."

The financial details of the decision were not immediately clear.

According to its website, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent $US53.8 billion on philanthropic projects since 2000.

Last year, Mr Gates, formerly the world's richest person, said he was stepping down from Microsoft's board to focus on philanthropy.

Mr Gates was Microsoft's CEO until 2000 and since then has gradually scaled back his involvement in the company he started with Paul Allen in 1975.

He transitioned out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft in 2008 and stepped down as chairman of the board in 2014.

Ms Gates, who has degrees in computer science and economics as well as an MBA, spent the first 10 years of her career at Microsoft.

She left the company to "Focus on her family and philanthropic work", according to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website.

Ms Gates has since launched Pivotal Ventures, an investment company that backs social progress projects, and wrote a book called The Moment of Lift about the inspirational women she met through her charity work.

Source | ABC/wires