Melinda Gates Makes Play For Seattle Property: Report

SEATTLE — A few weeks before Bill and Melinda Gates announced their divorce, Melinda Gates helped close a $1.2 million deal for a craftsman home in Seattle's Portage Bay neighborhood, the Seattle Times reported Thursday. The newspaper initially reported that Gates was the sole buyer, but updated the story to say her involvement with the deal was likely as a loan provider for another couple.

Business Insider obtained a copy of a deed with Melinda Gates' name on it earlier in the week.

The Gateses announced their separation on Monday after 27 years of marriage. So far, it's unclear how the pair will divide their massive $124 billion fortune, including who gets the $131 million lakefront Medina estate.

According to the Seattle Times, the Gateses together own a few homes in California, and Crosscut reported in February that Bill Gates amassed at least 224,000 acres in farmland since 2014.

Should Melinda Gates move into the Seattle home herself, it would be a notable change, going from 66,000 square feet on the shores of Lake Washington to 2,900 square feet east of Lake Union. The property is just a few miles away from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Uptown headquarters. As the Seattle Times notes, it would also place her within the council district of Kshama Sawant, Seattle's socialist council member.

The newspaper reports the Portage Bay home was listed for sale in March, drawing the interest of several potential buyers and igniting a minor bidding war. Ultimately, the buyers paid $1.2 million, close to $200,000 above the list price and nearly twice what the house sold for in 2008.

Read more in the Seattle Times.