There’s no question about it: divorces can be expensive. But how high can the costs go? Some of the highest settlements in history are in the billion dollar range. Here’s a look at the top 9 most expensive divorces (in terms of settlement sizes):
1. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein: $3.8 Billion
Alec N. Wildenstein was a French billionaire art dealer, businessman, and racehorse owner. He inherited half of the business empire that was worth an estimated $10 billion and what is largely believed to be the largest private art collection in the world.
Alec met Jocelyn at his family’s Ol Jogi Ranch in the Laikipia District of Kenya. The two were married in 1978 and divorced in 1997. The proceedings lasted two years and ended with Jocelyn receiving an estimated $3.8 billion settlement.
2. Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng: $1.8 Billion
Rupert Murdoch, business magnate and board member of News Corp and 21st Century Fox, was married several times, but his third wife Wendi Dang, aged 30, walked away with the largest settlement – an estimated $1.8 billion.
3. Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica: $1-1.2 Billion
Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One Group, is worth an estimated $3.8 billion, and was ranked the fourth richest person in the UK in 2011.
Bernie married Slavica in 1985, and the two were married for 23 years. Slavica, a former model for Armani and 28-years younger than Bernie, divorced him in 2009 and got between $1 and $1.2 billion. Surprisingly, the two settled their divorce amicably.
4. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall: $974.8 Million
Oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm made headlines in 2014 when a judge ruled that he should pay his wife, Sue Ann Arnall, $995.5 million. Several news outlets reported that Hamm would be facing a world record divorce settlement, with up to half of his assets on the line (worth over $20 billion). Initial reports stated that Sue rejected the settlement check, totaling almost $975 million, but later reports confirmed that she took the cash.
5. Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi: $850 Million
Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi Arabian billionaire arms dealer who had a net worth of US$40 billion in the 1980s. At the time, he was considered one of the richest men on the planet.
In the 1960s, he married Sandra Daly, an Englishwoman, who converted to Islam and took the name of Soraya. The two divorced before 1980, and Soraya is estimated to have walked away with $850 million.
The Micklin Law Group, LLC is a New Jersey law firm focusing on family law for men and fathers. Attorney Brad Micklin was recently named to The National Advocates list of Top 100 attorneys from each state. Brad has experience in working with high asset divorces. You can read more on this topic by visiting our Divorce blog. To set up a consultation, call 973-562-0100.
