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9. Craig and Wendy McCaw
Cellular and Clearwire Corp founder, Craig McCaw, separated with Wendy McCaw in 1998.
Only a few short years before their divorce, Craig sold his company to AT&T for somewhere in the region of $11 – $12 billion.
So, Wendy managed to walk away from their 21-year marriage with a whopping, $460 million payout!
Settlement: USD$460 million (USD$742 million adjusted)
Divorced: 1997
Marriage: 21 years
Source of income: Communications
8. Dmitry Rybolovlev and Elena Rybolovlev
In 2008, Elena Rybolovlev filed for divorce against her Russian businessman and investor Dmitry, citing “serial infidelity” of his part. It wasn’t until 2014 that the divorce was made official, around the same time Elena was detained in Cyprus for allegedly stealing a $28 million diamond ring she later proved her ex-husband had given her while they were still married. Several years later, courts ordered Dmitry to pay his ex-wife a sum of $4.8 billion.
But, after more negotiations, the final payout was a little over $600 million.
Settlement: USD$604 million (USD$659 million adjusted)
Divorced: 2014
Marriage: 26 years
Source of income: Fertiliser, sports
7. Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi
With a nickname like ‘The Great Gatsby of the Middle East’, you’ve got to have some money. Sadly, for businessman Adnan Khashoggi, his 1980 divorce saw him part with a whole chunk of it. After 20 years of marriage, Adnan and Soraya split in a divorce settlement that was worth around USD$874 million, which when put into modern figures adjusting for inflation, is close to USD$2.3 billion.
Settlement: USD$874 million (USD$2.3 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 1980
Marriage: 20 years
Source of income: Arms dealing
6. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall
In 2012, Harold Hamm, the CEO of Continental Resources, and his wife Sue Ann Hamm filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage. Two years later, the wealthy businessman was ordered to pay his ex-wife nearly USD$1 billion, with CNBC reporting that USD$322 million of the fortune was to be paid that same year. The remaining amount was reportedly ordered to be paid to Sue Ann in monthly instalments of $7 million.
Settlement: USD$974 million (USD$1.1 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 2012
Marriage: 26 years
Source of income: Oil and gas
5. Steven and Elaine Wynn
The couple, who met in college, were married in 1963. They divorced in 1986, but remarried five years later. Elaine Wynn, a former beauty queen, is a regular at Las Vegas charity and social events.
This one hit the record books as being one of the most expensive divorces of all time. The payout came after Elaine Wynn testified that she told a Wynn company lawyer in 2009 about a rape claim against her billionaire ex-husband
in January by The Wall Street Journal of sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn. The newspaper reported that several women said the billionaire harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a US$7.5 million settlement. In 2005 with a manicurist formerly employed by the company.
Settlement: USD$1 billion (USD$1.2 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 2010
Marriage: 23 years and 19 years
Source of income: Hotels
4. Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone – USD$1.2 Billion
It’s no surprise that former Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has a lot of money, but his divorce settlement is one of the strangest in history. In the 11 years since his split from model Slavica, Ecclestone has received more than half a billion dollars from his ex-wife’s trust, but you certainly wouldn’t say he’s the winner in this situation. It appears Slavica is paying him roughly USD$100 million per year, due to the fact that Ecclestone’s assets were transferred into Slavica’s name when he was suffering from serious heart problems in the late 1990s.
In 1999, he had a triple bypass, which if he had died, would have left his daughters subject to British death duties at the rate of 40 per cent, prompting him to transfer the assets. More than two decades on, Slavica technically still holds the deeds and pink slips on a number of his assets, along with a cool USD$1.2 billion settlement of her own.
Settlement: USD$1.2 billion (USD$1.4 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 2009
Marriage: 24 years
Source of income: Motorsports
3. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Mann – USD$1.7 Billion
The first wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Anna Maria Mann was a journalistic star in her own right. The Scottish writer married Murdoch in 1967, mothering Elisabeth, Lachlan and James, however, in 1999, the partnership collapsed. According to Business Insider, Mann received a whopping USD$1.7 billion, including USD$110 million in cash from the divorce settlement. In the years that have passed, however, many Murdoch biographers have questioned that figure, suggesting the amount was “misapplication“.
Settlement: USD$1.7 billion (USD$2.6 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 1999
Marriage: 32 years
Source of income: Media
2. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein – USD$3.8 Billion
The American socialite best-known for her extensive cosmetic surgery, Jocelyn Wildenstein is also a star in the divorce stakes. Her high-profile divorce from billionaire art dealer and businessman Alec Wildenstein made major headlines across the globe, namely due to the revealing details of her lifestyle. Jocelyn once calculated her yearly telephone bill at $60,000 and food and wine costs at $547,00. In the actual divorce settlement, Jocelyn received USD$2.5 billion along with a $100 million pay packet every year for 13 years. The kicker? The judge stipulated that she could not use any alimony payments for further cosmetic surgery. She has since filed for bankruptcy.
Settlement: USD$3.8 billion with an additional $100 million each year for the following 13 years (USD$5.9 billion adjusted)
Divorced: 1999
Marriage: 21 years
Source of income: Art dealings, racehorses
1. Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott – USD$38 Billion
The big daddy of them all, Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos’ split in 2019 goes down as the most expensive divorce settlement in history. After meeting while working at hedge fund DE Shaw, Scott subsequently helped Bezos launch global marketplace Amazon, sticking by him through the business’ enormous growth. However, the divorce saw Mackenzie, who has since remarried, recieve a four per cent stake in Amazon worth more than $38bn, the value of which has skyrocketed over the past year. Immediately making her the world’s fourth-richest woman, the divorce pushed Scott to the forefront of the wealth stakes, with a net worth of $61.2 billion. However, in trademark style, Scott then promised to give away at least half of her fortune.
Settlement: USD$38 billion
Divorced: 2019
Marriage: 26 years
Source of income: Amazon
10 Most Expensive Divorce Settlements in History
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