The news of Bill Gates and Melinda's divorce hit the media space on the 3rd of May. This took many by surprise, especially after a 27-year-old marriage.
In announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programs in global health, gender equality, education, and other causes.
This will not be the first big divorce to be announced, below are some of the 5 most expensive divorce of all time:
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - $100 million
Fans were thrown for a loop when news broke in September 2016 that Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after 11 years of being together. Following their breakup, the By the Sea actress's attorney, Robert Offer, said her decision to split was "for the health of the family." Brad released a statement of his own not long after, telling People, "I am very saddened by this, but what matters most now is the well-being of our kids."
The couple, who share six children, are reported to have spent over $1m in legal fees alone as they try to come to a settlement with it being reported as "one of the most expensive divorce cases in Hollywood history." Although a settlement is yet to be reached it is believed Brad offered Angelia $100 million.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren - $110 million
Tiger Woods' divorce payout to ex-wife Elin Nordegren may be as much as $110 million, according to HuffPost. A source close to the situation said that Nordegren wanted enough money to maintain her "luxurious lifestyle, but she didn't try to take him for every penny that she could." In April 2011, Nordegren reportedly demanded full custody of the couple's children and $750 million.
Tiger admitted to having multiple affairs and the couple decided to divorce after six years together in 2010.
Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy - $168 million
After the divorce, Vanoy reportedly received a $168m divorce settlement, which is still one of the largest in sports history. Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy filed for a divorce in 2002 after being married for almost two decades. The couple tried to sort out their differences for four years before issuing a statement about their separation in 2006. Even today, Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy's divorce settlement is considered as one of the most financially worth in sports history. Jordan also paid $2.1 million for their legal fees.
Rupert Murdoch and Maria Torv - $1.7 billion
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and journalist Maria Torv were married for 31 years and have three children together. But the couple had diverging plans for when Murdoch would retire, and they agreed to an "amicable separation" in 1998. Details of the separation are sparse, but Torv is rumoured to have received $1.7 billion. Both parties seemed to have moved on quickly: Murdoch married Wendi Deng 17 days after the divorce, while Torv married William Mann six months after according to Economic Times.
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos - $38 billion
In April 2019, Amazon, the world's biggest online retailer, said in a filing that 4% of its outstanding stock or 19.7 million shares would be registered in MacKenzie Bezos' name after court approval of the divorce. The couple announced their plan to divorce in a joint Twitter statement in January, causing some to worry that Jeff Bezos could wind up with reduced Amazon voting power or that he or MacKenzie would liquidate a large position.
It comes as no surprise that the $38 billion divorce settlement placed MacKenzie in the 4th spot on Forbes' women billionaires list.
It is currently the most expensive celebrity divorce but could yet be outdone by Bill and Melinda Gates. This comes after an alleged affair with former Fox News presenter, Lauren Sanchez, the couple ended their marriage of 25 years.
The likely cost of Bill and Melinda Gates divorce settlement has not been disclosed yet, however, it could likely be the most expensive.
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