London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

5 Of The Most Expensive Divorces Before Bill-Melinda Gates Split

5 Of The Most Expensive Divorces Before Bill-Melinda Gates Split

With an estimated $130 billion in assets, Bill and Melinda Gates will surely be among the top contenders for the costliest divorces ever

After 27 years of marriage, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, 65, and his wife Melinda Gates, 56, created a flutter around the world when they announced their divorce saying they have given it "a great deal of thought".

The two said they will, however, continue to work together on philanthropic issues through their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

With an estimated $130 billion in assets, the couple will surely be among the top contenders to be ranked for the costliest divorces ever and join other billionaire couples who ended their marriage. The terms of separation have not been disclosed yet.

Here's a list of five of the most expensive divorces ever:


Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott


In July 2019, the billionaire Amazon founder and his wife announced their split after 25 years of marriage. But the divorce made MacKenzie Scott the third-richest woman in the world. Till date, this split is deemed as the costliest divorce ever as Bezos had to part with $36 billion of his wealth. In March this year, Scott remarried a Seattle science teacher.

Jocelyn and Alec Wildenstein


This was the priciest divorce settlement of the 1990s, which gave Jocelyn Wildenstein, known by her plastic surgery moniker "Catwoman", $2.5 billion settlement, a massive amount at that time. But she likely ran out of the fortune and filed for bankruptcy in 2018. The split turned ugly after Jocelyn found her billionaire art dealer husband, Alec Wildenstein, cheating on her.

Elon and Justine Musk


After their courtship since college, the billionaire Tesla CEO was married to Justin Musk for eight years until 2008 and had six children together. Musk has described how they share joint custody of their children. He said he foots the bills for the children's nannies and also sends Justine $20,000 per month post-tax. In addition to giving her their Bel Air home, he claimed the split cost him $170,000 average monthly legal bills.

Elon Musk divorced actress Talulah Riley twice. The first time he split from Riley in 2012, she walked away with $4.2 million. But they reconciled and married again a year later. Mr Musk again filed for divorce from her in 2015 and agreed to a $16 million settlement, according to the New York Post.

Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone


The former Formula 1 boss divorced from the Croatian Armani model after 24 years of marriage in 2009. No details of their settlement have been available but Bernie Ecclestone is believed to have paid around $1.2 billion to his ex-wife, the Sun reported.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren


The golf legend met the Swedish model at the 2001 Open Championship and they married three years later in Barbados. In 2009, however, the marriage broke after reports of Tiger Woods having an affair with a nightclub manager. Elin Nordegren divorced Woods a year later for a reported $110 million.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×