Divorce is never going to be cheap. It can be a long process, and it can get very expensive. What your settlement will look like can depend on your attorney and your assets. Here is a list of the some pretty expensive divorces. But, these are the highlights of that list. They are the biggest divorce settlements in history. Some of these divorce settlements are a higher value today, once you adjust for inflation.
Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi $874 Million
First on our list of the biggest divorce settlements in history is Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi. Adnan Khashoggi was an international business man who was also an alleged arms dealer. There were even allegations that he ran a prostitution ring. He was the focus of an investigation in France and was facing criminal charges. When his twenty-year marriage to a former model ended, it was settled at $874 million. They had a daughter and four sons together.
Harold and Sue Ann Hamm: $1 Billion
An Oil and Gas Executive, Harold Hamm ended up writing a $974.8 million check to Sue Ann after their divorce, and she got even more in assets. They spent two years in court before reaching a settlement. He is quoted as saying it “got the job done” when he wrote it. Initially, Sue rejected the check, saying it wasn’t enough. The check was then cashed, and Sue decided that she was still due more funds. She appealed to raise the settlement but was told that since she cashed the check, the court could do nothing for her. She has since tried to appeal, again.
Steve and Elaine Wynn: $1 Billion
Having been married twice, they decided to call it quits. Their settlement stated that they were to split assets and stake in the board of their casinos. The divorce was relatively quiet and somewhat smooth, but there have been rumblings about Elaine’s place on the board. Part of their dissolution says that he has to always vote for her place, but she is having a hard time retaining her seat. There have recently been headlines questioning how long she will have her seat on the board and what will happen if they take it away.
Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone: $1.2 Billion
The former model filed for divorce in 2008. Her husband was a billionaire who got his money from Formula One racing. While she received a $1.2 billion payout, but it was later stated that her ex-husband was given money from her trust fund. An arrangement was made more than a decade before the divorce and still exists today. She receives approximately $100 million per year.
Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria Torv: $1.7 Billion
Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from his second wife Anna ended in a $1.7 billion settlement, after thirty-one years. A lot of it was in stock. It didn’t take long for Murdoch to recover. Seventeen days later he found a new woman to marry. His new wife is 38 years his junior. This time, he made sure the prenup would limit the settlement amount if this marriage didn’t work out. Luckily for him, he had a prenup because the marriage did eventually end. Afterward, he married Jerry Hall. She has four children with Mick Jagger and is a former model.
Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein: $2.5 Billion
The Wildensteins are famous for their art collection. Their collection is worth billions and said to include pieces the stolen by the Nazis. But, what may be more famous if Jocelyn’s predilection for plastic surgery and her quest to look like a cat. After the divorce in 1999, the award was $2.5 billion and $100 million per year for thirteen years making this the biggest divorce settlements in history. Some of the settlement money has gone to plastic surgery. You may not know her name, but after all of the work to her face, you may recognize her.
Property Division In Divorce Settlements
In many cases, it can come down to the attorney you have in your corner and the case they can put together for you. You may not have all of the assets that these cases involved, but you surely don’t want to pay out more than the court requires. In some cases, a settlement can be fifty percent of what you have. There are some cases where the payout is more, and in others, it is less.
You want to have an attorney who will get you the best deal and as quickly as possible. Knowing what you want to keep will make it easier for them to fight for you. But, if what you want is to have financial gain; it may be a hard fight. This is a great place to start if you need information about getting a divorce and how you can keep your losses low. The divorce itself will cost enough; you don’t want to pay out more than you have to.
