Bill and Melinda Gates during their marriage had an agreement, which allowed the billionaire to go on vacation every year with his ex-girlfriend.

What is it about? Bill Gates once had an affair with Ann Winblad, an American entrepreneur in the 1980s. From then on, he reached an agreement with his wife, Melinda which allowed him to spend a long weekend of vacation with her even after the relationship was over.

Bill and Ann, the old girlfriend met in 1984 and in the beginnings of love, their dating was virtual. They watched the same movie in different cities of the world at the same time and then discussed about it over the phone. For several years, she even urged the billionaire to give up meat, an experiment he accurately persuades.

They separated in 1987 after Ann, 5 years older than him was ready to get married. However they decided to stay close friends from that time. Following this decision, Gates reportedly made a pact with his wife to continue the tradition with his old love. 

Every spring for more than a decade Gates spent a long weekend vacationing at the beach with his ex-partner. Despite the romance being over, the former couple had a lot to discuss about everything happening in the world.

Even before Bill and Melinda got married, it was the youth partner who gave the billionaire approval to propose to his future wife. 

"When I was thinking of marrying Melinda, I called Ann and asked for her approval," Gates said in an interview years ago, stressing the importance of her thoughts and support in the decisions he made.

Meanwhile, Bill and Melinda Gates ended their marriage after 27 years together. According to them, the divorce came after they believed they "could no longer grow as a couple".

Source: The Independent