Breakups are tough, but when there’s a mountain of cash on the line? Brutal. Some celebrity splits practically broke the interne and the bank.
We’re talking jaw-dropping settlements, fortunes carved in half, and headlines that just won’t quit. Grab your popcorn and check out some of the priciest divorces ever, based on reports all over the media.
Bill Gates & Melinda Gates
After 27 years together, Bill and Melinda called it quits in May 2021. A Twitter statement dropped the news: irreconcilable differences. Their divorce set a record with $76 billion, making it the costliest split ever, once you adjust for inflation.
Jeff Bezos & MacKenzie Scott
When the Amazon founder and MacKenzie split in 2019, the numbers were wild. MacKenzie walked away with a 4% stake in Amazon, worth about $38 billion at the time. Inflation-adjusted, that’s $46.7 billion. Second place on this “most expensive” list.
Alec Wildenstein & Jocelyn Wildenstein
French-born billionaire Alec Wildenstein’s 1999 break with Jocelyn Wildenstein? Legendary. She reportedly scored a $3.8 billion payout, now equivalent to $7.2 billion.
Rupert Murdoch & Anna dePeyster
Murdoch’s 1999 divorce from Anna was a stunner. She got about $1.7 billion ($3.2 billion, inflation-adjusted), including $1.2 billion in assets. And as if that wasn’t enough drama, Murdoch remarried less than three weeks later.
Bill Gross & Sue Gross
This one had all the messy details with accusations flying everywhere. Their 2017 split saw Sue Gross receive around $1.3 billion ($1.7 billion after inflation). That’s a lot of zeroes for one breakup.
Bernie Ecclestone & Slavica Radić
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone split from wife Slavica in 2009, and the reported settlement? $1.2 billion ($1.8 billion today).
Steve Wynn & Elaine Wynn
Casino mogul Steve Wynn’s divorce from Elaine in 2010 hit the billion-dollar mark ($1.4 billion inflation-adjusted). The house doesn’t always win, apparently.
Chey Tae-won & Roh Soh-yeong
South Korean billionaire Chey Tae-won’s 2024 divorce is now the country’s priciest. Court ordered him to pay Roh Soh-yeong $1 billion,1.38 trillion won. That’s a record for South Korea.
Harold Hamm & Sue Ann Arnall
Oil tycoon Harold Hamm’s 2012 divorce from Sue Ann Arnall? Nearly $1 billion, $974.8 million, to be exact ($1.3 billion in today’s money). Even in oil country, that’s a hefty settlement.
Adnan Khashoggi & Soraya Khashoggi
Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi parted ways with Soraya in 1980 after two decades together. The price tag? $874 million (which blows up to $2.8 billion with inflation).
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum & Haya bint Hussein
Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, divorced Haya bint Hussein in 2019 after 15 years. The settlement: $730 million ($787 million inflation-adjusted). Even royalty isn’t immune to a costly split.
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