NEW YORK, NY May 4 (DPI) – Bill and Melinda Gates announced the end of their 27-year marriage yesterday, setting off a strong reaction from readers who posted thousands of comments of support and sadness – as well as some surprise.

More than 3,000 comments popped up in a matter of hours on the Washington Post’s site, and the report – Bill and Melinda Gates each issued simultaneous Tweets – was the most popular on many other news sites as well. They said they would continue to run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has allocated more than $50 billion to many charitable causes and which is perhaps the best example of the effective allocation of private capital for public good.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, met Melinda Gates at the company, and they married in 1994. Within a decade they had launched their foundation, which created a public stage for the couple, and as a result much of America came to admire and respect the Gates for their activities.

The most popular comments on WashingtonPost.com reflected a certain closeness that many people feel toward Bill and Melinda Gates.

I don’t know why, but this makes me sad. 

This shouldn’t affect me at all, but it makes me sad. They’ve done much good, and I have no doubt they will continue. But still, sad.

I wish them both well. 
People used to live short lives.  That is no longer the case and no one is the same person they were 27 years ago.
My wife and I divorced after 38 years.  She had been retired for about ten years and I was still working.  We just grew apart.
I hope this improves both of their lives.  Good luck. 

Divorce can be a really sad thing or it can be the start of something new and wonderful.  I know plenty of couples that have stayed together and are unhappy, stale and sometimes miserable.  I wish that they’d divorce rather than stay together.  Sometimes I hear “We’re celebrating 25 years!” and I think “Yeah, but you hate him.” I’m on my second marriage and we’re both very happy.  I’m very glad that I got divorced.  It was the right thing to do.  I wish the Gates much happiness even if it’s not as a married couple.