Bill and Melinda Gates, two of the most influential philanthropists in the world, said on Monday that they were divorcing.

The couple have together emerged as leading figures in the global fight against Covid-19, and their separation is likely to send shock waves through the worlds of philanthropy, public health and business.

The divorce will create new questions about the fate of the Gates fortune, much of which has not yet been donated to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Gates, who co-founded Microsoft, is one of the richest people in the world, worth an estimated $124 billion, according to Forbes.

“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the couple said in a statement that was posted to Mr. Gates’s Twitter account.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.