It’s hard being a celebrity going through an expensive and public divorce. It can be a bit difficult to give up half your fortune to someone. Whether they go their separate ways because of irreconcilable differences, cheating or abuse, celebrities spend millions to divide assets.
Celebrities can fall into a love trap that could take a big chunk of their net worth. Madonna, Dr. Dre and most recently, Kevin Costner have all experienced legal battles with specifics on spousal/child support and properties. Here are 7 of the most expensive celebrity divorce showdowns.
Bill & Melinda Gates – $76 Billion
Following an affair the Microsoft co-founder had in 2020, Bill and Melinda Gates divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage. The pair’s petition didn’t indicate that there was a signed prenuptial agreement on the books. The exes opted for a separation contract to negotiate the terms of their split. No child support was granted because their three children were already grown. Although one of the smoothest celebrity divorces, it was also one of the priciest. Melinda walked away with $76 billion, making her the 10th wealthiest woman in the world.
The couple continues to run the philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle. Worth $50 billion, the foundation is one of the world’s largest charitable organizations. The foundation was in a trust, and therefore could not be divided as part of the marital estate.
Jeff & Mackenzie Bezos – $38 Billion
The Amazon founders married in 1993 — one year before founding the company founding — and share four children. In 2018, the National Enquirer teased a story claiming that Jeff Bezos was having an affair with a former Fox News anchor. The next year, he and wife Mackenzie Bezos divorced.
Because their divorce jurisdiction was in Washington (a community property state), all assets and debts were held jointly by the couple. For that reason, the celebrity divorce was very amicable. They did not have a prenuptial agreement. And although MacKenzie Bezos did not receive half the marital assets, her 4% stake in Amazon was still worth approximately $38.3 billion. That does not include any other liquid, real estate, or other assets she received.
Alec & Jocelyn Wildenstein – $3.8 Billion
Jocelyn Wildenstein, the New York City socialite known as “Catwoman” due to the results of her extensive plastic surgery, received a $2.5 billion divorce settlement when she divorced art dealer Alec Wildenstein in 1999. Problems started when Jocelyn claimed she found Alec in bed with a 21-year-old Russian model. She also claimed he pulled a gun on her, which led to his arrest.
Jocelyn Wildenstein also received an annuity of $100 million to be paid in 13 years. The celebrity divorce was particularly contentious and the judge stipulated when awarding Wildenstein her settlement that she should not use any of the money for further cosmetic surgeries. But she still managed to fall on hard times and filed for bankruptcy in 2018, which she claimed was due to the discontinuation of her $100 million annual divorce settlement by her deceased ex-husband’s family.
Kanye West & Kim Kardashian – $2.1 Billion
Hollywood’s most infamous couple, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian divorced in 2021, but trouble in their marriage began years earlier. West’s string of erratic behavior, controversial remarks, and support of Donald Trump seriously strained their relationship. And in Feb. 2022, the SKIMS founder officially filed for divorce.
The couple, lovingly dubbed “Kimye” by the media, have joint physical and legal custody of their four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. Kim Kardashian receives $200,000 a month in child support from Kanye West, who’s also responsible for half of the children’s medical, educational, and security expenses. Both parties waived spousal support. When it comes to their property portfolios, the pair had a prenup and kept their homes separate.
However, Forbes reports they jointly owned several homes, artwork, vehicles, and jewelry amounting to US$70 million in shared assets, as of 2022. Back in 2021 West boasted a net worth of $1.3 billion. That amount dwindled after his Yeezy brand was dropped by Adidas. Kardashian’s current net worth according to Forbes is $1.8 billion.
Rupert & Anna Murdoch – $1.7 Billion
Former 21st Century Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch divorced Anna Murdoch Mann, a Scottish journalist with whom he shared three children, in 1999. Troubles started when Murdoch had an affair with his next wife Wendy Deng, whom he married two weeks after settling the divorce. “He was hard, ruthless, and determined,” she would state years later about her ex-husband.
California being the couple’s home state — and a community-property state — Anna Murdoch could have walked away with half of the family fortune, which was then valued at $7.8 billion. But having regarded the company as her life’s work, she used her leverage to protect the company for her children. The couple agreed to a family trust where their three children, along with his child by his first wife, would inherit the company. Rupert, however, breached the agreement for his children with Anna when he had two more kids with Deng. He then bought them off, each with $150 million, and they agreed to divide the trust into six parts, instead of four. Anna Murdoch reportedly received $1.7 billion from the settlement.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver – $300 Million
Although Maria Shriver filed for divorce in 2011, soon after she learned of Schwarzenegger’s infidelity and secret child with their maid Mildred Baena, it took the couple a decade to sign the papers. Married for 25 years, the two handled their divorce quietly and without throwing accusations in court, which is a bit weird considering how long it took them to settle.
There were virtually no public actions taken in the case between 2011 and June 2023. Financial details of the settlement were kept confidential. Because the couple’s four children together are now all adults, there is no child support or custody arrangement.
Settlement papers say that neither owes the other any spousal support, but both reserve the right to seek it through the court in the future. Shriver is entitled to half of what Schwarzenegger earned from the time they got married in 1986 until the divorce, including his pension. Arnold has a net worth of $450 million.
Dr. Dre & Nicole Young – $100 Million
Dr. Dre and his ex-wife Nicole Young reached a massive divorce settlement that allowed her to walk away from their 24-year marriage with $100 million, one-eight of Dre’s fortune. She also kept a Rolls Royce, Range Rover, Escalade limousine, and Spyder motorcycle as well as all of her jewelry. The iconic producer of such albums as The Chronic and The Slim Shady LP has a net worth of $500 million.
During the 18-month divorce proceeding, Dr. Dre (born Andre Young) tried to enforce a prenuptial agreement signed in 1996. But powerhouse attorney Samantha Spector fought the validity of the prenup, arguing that Young had signed it under “duress.” Young revealed lots of Dre’s appalling behavior in court. In a 2021 feature, Rolling Stone Magazine reported that “Nicole claimed in court papers that Dre kicked her out of their home in early April.” Additionally, it alleged Dre “plotted to secretly transfer their assets, to deny Nicole her equal share.” She also accused him of multiple instances of domestic abuse, including holding a gun to her head twice and punching her in the head and face, all of which he denied.
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