Members Only
lock close icon

Jeff Bezos-MacKenzie and Other Expensive Divorces in The World 

A divorce can cost you a fortune, literally.

Ila Kazmi
Social Buzz
Updated:
 Jeff Bezos with ex-wife MacKenzie Bezos.
i
Jeff Bezos with ex-wife MacKenzie Bezos.
(Photo: AP)

advertisement

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon recently made headlines after he won the title of world’s richest man with a worth of $137 billion.

Again he catches attention of the world after he called off his 25-years-old marriage with wife MacKenzie on Twitter.

The duo will join thousand of Americans who filed for divorce this year but it will hardly have any similarity. As Bezos who possess $137 billion, this could be the most expensive divorce of the world.

According to CNBC, Bezos comes from Washington which is so-called 'community property' states under which one has to go through prenuptial agreement - where the assets earned after marriage is divided equally between the duo.

Since divorces are top of the mind, here’s a look at some of the most expensive divorces:

10) Craig and Wendy McCaw, $460 million


One of the costliest divorces of all time was when the cell phone industry pioneer, Craig McCaw and newspaper publisher Wendy McCaw separated in 1997. The divorce costed Craig McCaw around $460 million according to Forbes.

Craig McCaw and Wendy McCaw(Photo:businessinsider.in)

9) Dmitry and Elena Rybolovlev: $600 Million

Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev had gone through a long battle of 7 years since his wife Elena Rybolovlev filed for divorce in 2008. According to Forbes, a Swiss court awarded Elena $4.5 billion. Later, the court cut it to $600 Million. Finally, after much conflict, the duo settled down to an agreement and all the lawsuits were dropped.

Dmitry and Elena Rybolovlev.(Photo: Businessinsider.in)

8. Adnan Khashoggi and Soraya Khashoggi, 1980 — $874 million

Adnan Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian businessman who was married to the then, 20-year-old British woman named Sandra Daly. Daly converted to Islam and changed her name to Soraya.

According to the Time Magazine, the couple together owned 17 homes, three planes, and three yachts. When they separated, their divorce settlement reportedly totaled £574 million in 1982. That is equivalent to 2.2 billion of today.

Adnan Khashoggi and Soraya Khashoggi(Photo:time.com)

7. Harold and Sue Ann Hamm: $975 million

After 3 years of fighting the battle in the court, the oil tycoon Harold (nationality?) and his wife in 2015 called off their wedding.

Harold signed a check of $975 million to get through this long court proceedings. His wife Sue Ann filed an appeal to get a bigger share of fortune. But, the court rejected her plea.
<a href="http://time.com/money/4533415/most-expensive-divorces-celebrities-steve-wynn-donald-trump-rupert-murdorch/">The Time Magazine</a>
Harold and Sue Ann Hamm.(Photo: Worldpress)

6. Steve Wynn and Elaine Pascal, $1 Billion

The American real estate businessman Steve and Elaine Wynn were married in 1963. They got divorced twice, one in 1986 and again in 2010. According to Timẹ, the settlement between the duo was of $1 Billion.

Steve Wynn and Elaine Pascal(Photo:Viraltide)
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

5. Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone, $1.2 billion

Bernie Ecclestone, the president and CEO of Formula One, separated from Slavica Ecclestone, a former model. The couple filed for divorce in 2009 for an estimated $1.2 billion of alimony.

Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone(Photo:TheTimeMagazine)

4. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Torv, $1.7 billion

American media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Anna Torv (now Anna Mann) took a divorce with a $1.7 billion settlement in 1999.

Murdoch divorced his second wife, Anna. They were married for 32 years.

Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Torv(Photo:viraltide.com)

3. Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng, $1.8 billion

After divorcing his second wife, Rupert Murdoch was married to Wendi Deng, a Chinese woman. Murdoch and Deng divorced 14 years later. Deng received several luxurious homes and around $1.8 billion as alimony.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng(Photo: bangordailynews.com)

2. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein, $2.5 billion

This divorce between Alec Wildenstein and Jocelyn Wildenstein is considered one of the most expensive divorces ever. Alec was a billionaire French businessman, art dealer and racehorse owner and breeder.

According to the Time report, the divorce settlement was around $2.5 billion and she also got an additional sum of $100 million per year for 13 years.

Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein.(Photo:TheTimeMagazine)

1. Vladimir Potanin and Natalia Potanin, $ 15 billion?

Yeah, you read that right!

The Russian entrepreneur Potanin and Natalia Potanina divorced in 2014. Vladimir, allegedly offered her a settlement of $ 140 million. But according to the Business Insider, Natalia is still going through the court procedure to demand $15 billion as an alimony.

If she wins in this fight, this could be the world’s costliest divorce.

Vladimir Potanin and Natalia Potanina.(Photo:TheTimeMagazine)

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

Become a Member to unlock
  • Access to all paywalled content on site
  • Ad-free experience across The Quint
  • Early previews of our Special Projects
Continue

Published: 11 Jan 2019,07:24 PM IST

ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL FOR NEXT