Divorce rates are on the rise, with over 50% of first-time marriages ending in divorce. This is a sobering statistic for anyone looking to tie the knot soon. And it’s not just everyday folk who find themselves separating. Many famous people have split up over the decades leading to some of the most expensive divorces of all time.
Just this year we have seen media tycoon Rupert Murdoch ditch his wife of six years Jerry Hall. This is Murdoch’s fourth divorce and likely his most expensive yet. But he isn’t the first to feel a hit in his bank balance. Fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bernie Ecclestone have experienced the pain of an expensive divorce. It’s not just billionaires, with many in the entertainment world feeling the pinch after divorce, including Steven Spielberg, Dr Dre, Kevin Costner, and Mick Jagger.
Read on and discover the most expensive divorce settlements of all time.
The 20 Most Expensive Divorces in the World
20. Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison – $118 Million ($169 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
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Harrison Ford met Melissa Mathison on the set of Apocalypse Now and it was love at first sight. The two married in 1983 and stayed together for 17 years before calling time on their relationship in 2000. Rumors abounded that the reason for the split was Ford’s wandering eye, but these reports were never confirmed.
They finally divorced four years later in 2004, with Mathison collecting a cool $188 million ($169 million inflation-adjusted) after Ford never signed a prenuptial agreement. Mathison has since passed away while Ford has found love again with actress Calista Flockhart.
19. Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt – $130 Million ($157 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
ABC News/YouTube
Businessman Frank McCourt has had his fingers in a variety of pies over the years that saw his bank balance get nice and fat. He was once the owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and now has a controlling interest in the French football club Olympique de Marseille.
McCourt met his wife Jamie when she was a 17-year-old freshman at Georgetown University. Romance quickly ensued and the pair were wed in 1979. They lasted an impressive 32 years before calling it quits in 2011. Jamie received a whopping $130 million ($157 million inflation-adjusted) in the divorce.
18. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey – $150 Million ($270 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Top List 4U/YouTube
Neil Diamond is one of the great American singer-songwriters. He’s sold more than 130 million records worldwide and is responsible for huge hits including “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” and “Song Sung Blue.” He also starred in the critically panned The Jazz Singer, which is well worth watching to discover Diamond’s lack of acting talent.
Like so many in the entertainment world, Diamond has been married multiple times. It was his second marriage and divorce that hit the purse strings. After 25 years of marriage to Marcia Murphy, which included two children, the couple divorced in 1994 or 1995, with Murphy awarded $150 million ($270 million inflation-adjusted).
17. Boris Berezovsky and Galina Besharova – $160 million ($199 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Lára Hanna Einarsdóttir/YouTube and 0ligarxi777/YouTube
Boris Abramovich Berezovsky, who also went by the name Platon Elenin, was a Russian business oligarch who made his fortune when privatization became big in Russia during the 90s. He owned the country’s main television channel, Channel One, and founded the political party Duma, which would give a young Vladamir Putin a platform.
Married to Galina Besharova for 19 years, the duo ended their marriage in 2010 while Berezobsky was hiding out in England, having become a thorn in the side of his former ally Putin. Besharova got a tasty $160 million ($199 million inflation-adjusted) out of the divorce while Berezovsky died of an apparent suicide three years later.
16. Michael Jordan and Juanita Jordan – $168 Million ($226 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Nicki Swift/YouTube
He might be the greatest basketball ever to play the game, but Michael Jordan is still only human. This was shown when he and his wife of 17 years Juanita Jordan divorced in 2006. The couple had previously filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but made up and kept at it for another four years before finally bringing their marriage to an end.
Worth an absolute fortune thanks to his career both on and off the court, Jordan was always going to be forking out a big number. That turned out to be $168 million ($226 million inflation-adjusted). Juanita also got custody of their kids and their mansion in Chicago.
15. Michael Polsky and Maya Polsky – $184 Million ($240 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
#SecretsSelfmadeBillionaires by Paul Chan/YouTube
Worth around $1.5 billion, Michael Polsky wouldn’t have lost much sleep when his marriage ended. The Invenergy founder was forced to pay his ex-wife Maya a cool $184 million ($240 million inflation-adjusted) when their partnership came crashing down in 2006.
The couple originally married in Kiev, Ukraine in 1975 before arriving together in America with four suitcases and $500 cash. Maya was awarded half of her husband’s fortune by the court, which goes to show how well he’s done since the divorce.
14. Charles Edgar Fipke and Marlene Fipke – $200 million ($315 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
inquisitr.com
Working as a geologist and prospector, Charles Edgar Fipke acquired his fortune after discovering diamonds around Lac de Gras in Canada’s Northwest Territories. This turned him into a multi-millionaire and allowed him to pursue his other passion, horse racing.
When his marriage to Marlene went down the toilet, Charles was ordered to pay her $200 million ($315 million inflation-adjusted), which included 1/5th of his company.
13. Roman Abramovich and Irina Malandina – $300 Million ($392 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Wiki4All/YouTube
Best known for buying Chelsea football club in 2003 and then being forced to sell it in 2022 after having his assets frozen by the British government, Roman Abramovich is another Russian oligarch to appear on this list. His close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have meant he’s had to flee London and return to the motherland.
Abromovich has been married and divorced three times, with his second wife, Irina Malandina, making the biggest dent in his bank balance. She hired two top divorce lawyers to start divorce proceedings against her husband after he was rumored to be cheating on her. The court ruled in Malandina’s favor and she came out of the divorce $300 million ($392 million inflation-adjusted) richer. While it sounds a lot, $300 million is a drop in the ocean for Abramovich.
12. Robert L. Johnson and Sheila Johnson – $400 Million ($603 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
City Dreamer/YouTube
Making his fortune as the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). Robert L. Johnson and Sheila Johnson were married for 33 years before their marriage ended. Sheila was entitled to a huge $400 million ($603 million inflation-adjusted) divorce settlement.
Fun fact: Sheila would go on to marry the judge who presided over her divorce case.
11. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore Gibson – $425 Million ($571 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
While this divorce came as a shock to many, those close to Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore Gibson could see the writing was on the wall. Mel had been involved in several high-profile controversies, including his arrest for DUI. Gibson and Robyn separated on July 29, 2006, after 26 years of marriage.
Divorce proceedings went ahead in 2009 and Robyn Gibson, under California law, was entitled to half of everything Mel owned. This resulted in her walking away with $425 million ($571 million inflation-adjusted), setting her up for life.
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10. Craig McCaw and Wendy McCaw – $460 Million ($776 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Cracking the top ten most expensive divorces is Craig McCaw and Wendy McCaw. Craig made his money in the mobile industry, founding the companies pioneer McCaw Cellular (now part of AT&T Mobility) and Clearwire Corporation (now part of T-Mobile). He has been married twice, with his first coupling costing him a cool $460 million ($776 million inflation-adjusted).
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He married Wendy Petrak, a Californian newspaper publisher in 1974, with the two eventually parting ways in 1997. Craig remarried but that relationship didn’t last either.
9. Dmitry Rybolovlev and Elena – $604 Million ($690 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
TOP 10 TV/YouTube
Now we are starting to get into the big numbers. Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev forked out over half a billion dollars when he got a divorce from his wife Elena Rybolovleva. Citing “serial infidelity” as the reason for the divorce in 2008, it wasn’t until 2015 that the divorce was officially settled and Elena was awarded an undisclosed sum that most reported to be around $604 million ($690 million inflation-adjusted)
That might sound like a lot of mola, but the courts originally wanted Dmitry to pay $4.5 billion. Luckily for Dmitry, he has some good lawyers and was able to get the agreed-upon sum much lower than first announced.
8. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren – $710 Million ($882 Million Inflation-Adjusted)
Facts Verse/YouTube
Here is another big divorce settlement that almost ruined Tiger Woods. Arguably the greatest golfer to ever hit the links, Woods found himself in all sorts of trouble in November 2009 when reports of his infidelity were published in the National Enquirer. It wasn’t long before every media organization picked up the story and Woods was outed as a serial cheater.
Woods apologized to his wife Elin Nordgreen multiple times through press statements but it wasn’t enough to save his marriage. The two divorced in 2010 and Woods lost a large portion of his fortune, having to pay his ex-wife $710 million ($882 million inflation-adjusted).
While the scandal and ensuring controversies (car crashes, DUI arrests, etc.) could have derailed his career, Woods has fought back over the past decade and returned to the golf course, slowly gaining back the respect he lost through his actions.
7. Adnan Khashoggi and Soraya Khashoggi – $874 Million ($2.5 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
What’s crazy about this marriage ending is that the divorce occurred nearly 50 years ago but still ranks as one of the most expensive settlements of all time. Khashoggi, a Saudi businessman, and known arms dealer met 20-year-old Englishwoman Sandra Daly in 1961 and promptly married her. Daly must have been in love as she converted to Islam and took the name, Soraya Khashoggi.
They had five children together but that wasn’t enough for their marriage to work, with the two divorcing in 1974. Soraya was awarded an unbelievable $874 million ($2.5 billion inflation-adjusted), although this was pocket change for Adnan, who was rumored to be worth billions.
6. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Hamm – $974.8 Million ($1.2 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
The Oklahoman Video Archive/YouTube
Harold Hamm is an American billionaire who got rich in the oil and gas business. Hamm is a big supporter of the Republican party and has donated millions to the political party over the years. He’s also one of the world’s wealthiest men, which is a good thing considering he paid his ex-wife an astonishing $974.8 million when they divorced.
They married in 1988 and had two children, but split in 2012 when Arnall filed for divorce. Hamm claims they had been separated since 2005. While many thought Hamm might lose half of his reported $20 billion fortune at that time, the judge in the case only awarded Arnall $974.8 million, which is still a nice amount. She rejected this and wanted more, but Hamm depicted a check for that amount in her account and that was the end of it.
5. Steve Wynn and Elaine Wynn – $1 Billion ($1.2 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
Ever stayed at Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas? Well, Steve Wynn is the man behind this luxury accommodation. The property mogul, real estate developer, and fine art collector has amassed a massive fortune over the years. In 1963 Wynn married Elaine Farrell Pascal and the two divorced in 1986. They then remarried in 1991 and got a second divorce almost two decades later in 2010. That’s the one that cost Wynn the big bucks.
Wynn paid his former wife $1 billion ($1.2 billion inflation-adjusted), with the majority of that being stocks in his company Wynn Resorts Ltd.
4. Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica Ecclestone – $1.2 Billion ($1.5 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
The former chief executive of the Formula One Group, Bernie Ecclestone ended up paying a steep price for his divorce from second wife Slavica Radic. The two were together for 23 years and had two children before Radic filed for divorce in 2008. Surprisingly things were quite cordial between the pair and the divorce went down without any drama. Ecclestone wasn’t too bothered about hanging over $1.2 billion ($1.5 billion inflation-adjusted) to his ex, and just three years later married for the third time.
3. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Torv – $1.7 Billion ($2.8 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
Rupert Murdoch is an Australian media mogul who controls multiple media organizations through his company News Corp. The right-wing nutter has also been married and divorced four times. His most expensive occurred in 1999 when he and his wife Anna Torv called it a day.
The two had been together for 32 years and had three kids. The divorce settlement was huge, with Torv receiving an eye-watering $1.7 billion ($2.8 billion inflation-adjusted). Expensive divorce settlements don’t get much pricer than this.
2. Alec Wildenstein and Jocelyn Wildenstein – $3.8 Billion ($6.2 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
WOMEN and TIME. Biographies in images/YouTube
You might not be familiar with Alex Wildenstein but you’ve probably seen photos of his ex-wife before. Socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein is known for her cat-like appearance due to all the plastic surgery she has had, although she denies having had any surgery. Alec and Jocelyn met and married in their 30s and were together for almost two decades before Jocelyn walked in on Alex having sex with a 19-year-old model.
The divorce trial lasted two years and saw both air their dirty laundry as the public became fascinated with the two. Eventually, Alec was forced to pay Jocelyn $3.8 billion ($6.2 billion inflation-adjusted) which included a lump sum of $2.5 billion and a following $100 million every year for 13 years.
Somehow that wasn’t enough for Jocelyn, who filed for bankruptcy in 2018.
1. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott – $38 Billion ($40.3 Billion Inflation-Adjusted)
Access/YouTube
Scott is now one of the wealthiest women in the world and has donated millions since the divorce. Bezos seems unaffected by the loss, although he has been overtaken by Elon Musk as the richest man alive, something that is sure to annoy him.
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