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Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are considering making changes to their foundation in light of their split, according to a statement from Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman.
"As I told foundation employees last week, I’m actively discussing with Bill and Melinda steps they and Warren might take to strengthen the long-term sustainability and stability of the foundation,” he wrote in a statement, referring to billionaire Warren Buffett, the third member of the foundation’s board.
Suzman said no decisions have been made but asserted that Bill and Melinda have "reaffirmed their commitment to the foundation and continue to work together on behalf of our mission.”
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that they are also considering bringing in outside directors, citing people they didn’t identify. There are just three trustees currently -- Gates, French Gates and Buffett, who has added more than $27 billion of his own money to the foundation’s coffers over the past 15 years.
The three-person board is unusually small for a foundation of its size. The Ford Foundation, which is roughly a fifth the size of the Gates Foundation, has 15 members on its board. The Rockefeller Foundation, at a 10th of the size, has no fewer than 12 at any time.
