Melinda Gates announced her resignation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "after careful thought and reflection," but vowed to contribute another $12 billion to the charity.
Gates confirmed her decision to step away from the successful non-profit in a post on X Monday.
"This is not a decision I came to lightly," the 59-year-old ex-wife of former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates wrote, in part, while promising more funding. "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 our foundation team, our partners around the world, and everyone who is touched by its work."
Since 2000, the foundation has funded around $78 billion worth of grants, according to CNN.
"Melinda has new ideas about the role she wants to play in improving the lives of women and families in the U.S. and around the world," Mark Suzman, the foundation's CEO, wrote in a statement Monday, the outlet reported. "And, after a difficult few years watching women's rights rolled back in the U.S. and around the world, she wants to use this next chapter to focus specifically on altering that trajectory."
Gates plans to leave the organization June 7.
"I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work," Bill wrote on X in response to his former wife's announcement.
"Our foundation team is incredibly strong and deeply passionate about our work, and under the leadership of Mark Suzman, and a committed board of trustees, I am confident we will keep making substantial progress on our mission to create a world where every person can live a healthy, productive life."
