Melinda Gates can become the second richest woman in the world

Melinda Gates, a philanthropist and women's empowerment activist, can become the second richest woman in the world, with a fortune estimated at $73 billion after the split by billionaire Bill Gates.

In her request submitted to the tribunal Monday in Seattle, Washington, Melinda Gates stated that divorce with Microsoft's multi-miliarder co-founder, Bill Gates, one of the richest men on the planet, was irreversible and called on the court to share the couple's mutual assets of $1 146 billion.

The 50-50 split is likely to occur because submitting the divorce demand also reveals that the couple who got married in 1994 did not sign a premature agreement, and under Washington's law, couples who divorce their assets are expected to share equally.

If that happens, Melinda French Gates, who recently named the girl's name in social networking profiles, will rank after French Bettencourt Meyers, the 67-year-old owner of L Oreal, whose inherited wealth is worth about $83 billion.

According to Bloomberg billionaires' index, Bill Gates is currently ranked the fourth richest person in the world, with $146 billion in assets. He would have been richer and probably the richest man in the world if he hadn't given at least $40 billion for the charity foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates.

Divorce questions the future of the couple's humanitarian initiatives through the foundation, which also receives money from other donors, ranging from billionaire Warren Buffett to the United Kingdom government. Although they have said they will co-operate, some experts suggest that the divorced couple may have different views about the foundation's future direction.

The foundation focuses on projects to improve global health care, education and gender equality.

Sources: Guardian, Bloomberg