Billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda are the latest power couple to hit the marital skids.
The Microsoft co founder and his spouse announced on Monday they are parting ways after 27 years of marriage.
Gates 54, is worth an estimated $136 billion and is the world’s richest person, according to Forbes.
His divorce settlement with his soon-to-be-ex, 56, promises to be one of the largest in history.
It remains to be seen how the divorce of Bill and Melinda plays out but, given his status as the fourth wealthiest man in the world, it’s a sure bet the eventual settlement will place the exes at the top of the pack for expensive splits.
Here’s a look at the 10 most expensive divorces to date.
10. Mel and Robyn Gibson
Estimated settlement amount: $425 million
Mel Gibson reportedly handed over half of his $850 million fortune when his split with his wife of 31 years, Robyn, was finalized in December 2011. Robyn reportedly is entitled to half of Mel’s wealth, as well as any future residuals from his films.
9. Craig and Wendy McCaw
Estimated settlement amount: $460 Million
The Seattle-area businessman was the founder of McCaw Cellular and Clearwire Corp. He split with former wife Wendy in 1998, just a few years after selling the McCaw Cellular to AT&T for between $11 billion and $12 billion. The settlement saw Wendy receive most of her $460 million payout in Nextel stock. The windfall allowed her to purchase the Santa-Barbara News-Press from The New York Times.
8. Dmitry Rybolovlev and Elena Rybolovleva
Estimated settlement amount: $604 Million
Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev and his ex-wife, businesswoman and socialite Elena Rybolovleva, separated after 26 years of marriage in 2008. Six years later, a Swiss court ordered Rybolovlev to pay his ex $4.8 billion. Rybolovleva’s windfall was not to be, however; in 2015, the court in Geneva reversed its decision and reduced her award to 564 million Swiss Francs. The pair are said to have amicably reached a settlement in October 2015; terms were not disclosed but it’s estimated Rybolovleva’s final payout was just north of $600 million.
7. Steven and Elaine Wynn
Estimated settlement amount: $741 million
In March 2010, Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn filed for divorce from wife Elaine and had to pay an estimated $741 million in Wynn Resorts stock. Now 76, Elaine Wiynn, a long-time member of Wynn’s board, is the company’s largest shareholder This was actually the second time that the couple divorced, the first being a five-year period starting in 1986, according to The New York Times.
6. Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi
Estimated settlement amount: $874 Million
Although they filed for divorce in 1974, it took Soraya Khashoggi until 1979 to sue — to the tune of $2.54 billion — her ex-husband, Saudi billionaire entrepreneur and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. In 1982, the couple agreed to a settlement that reportedly landed British-born Soraya (nee Sandra Daly) $874 million. At one time, Adnan, who died at age 81 in 2017, was estimated to be worth $4 billion, but lost his billionaire distinction in 2007. Soraya, 77, has claimed she never actually received any cash from Adnan and now apparently lives a modest life in London.
- Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall
Estimated settlement amount: $974.8 million
In 2012, CEO Harold Hamm and wife Sue Ann Hamm filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage. The oilman had an estimated $11 billion prior to the filing. In 2014, Hamm, now 73, her 5 percent of his total net worth. He wrote her a check for $974,790,317.77 — which she reportedly promptly cashed.
4. Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone
Estimated settlement amount: $1.2 billion
The 2009 divorce between billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, now 88, and wife Slavica, a Croatia-born former model, was at the time thought to be the most expensive in history — in the range of $4 billion. However, the final settlement between Ecclestone and Slavica, now 60, is estimated by various reports to be in the range of $1 billion to $1.2 billion. The settlement has not been made public, but experts from across the globe believe the latter number is more realistic.
- Rupert and Anna Murdoch
Estimated settlement amount: $1.7 billion
In 2013, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his former wife, Anna (now Anna Murdoch Mann) divorced. After a marriage of 32 years and three children together, the couple split in 1999. Under terms of the settlement, (which included $110 million in cash) went to Anna. Seventeen days after the divorce was finalized, Rupert wed Wendi Deng, 38 years his junior, while Anna married investor William Mann several months later. Murdoch and Deng divorced in 2013; in 2016, he wed former model Jerry Hall — his fourth marriage.
2. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein
Estimated settlement amount: $3.8 billion
Art dealer Alec Wilderstein and New York socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein divorced in 1999, and she was entitled to $2.5 billion and an annual $100 million for 13 years, according to Reuters. Jocelyn Wildenstein, widely known for her many cosmetic surgery procedures, was instructed by a judge not to use her alimony payments for cosmetic surgery, according to Reuters. She is now 78; Alec Wildenstein died of cancer in 2008 at age 67.
1. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos
Estimated settlement amount: As high as $38 billion
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos hands over a 4% stake in the online shopping giant to his ex-wife MacKenzie Bezos.
Despite handing over the vast sum, Jeff Bezos will still be the world’s richest individual with a $202bn fortune.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!