Most Expensive Divorces in History

The most expensive divorces of all time have cost millions — even billions — of dollars.

Many marriages don’t end happily ever after, but when marriages between rich people go sour, they capture headlines with their astronomical settlements.

While some couples make sure to involve a prenuptial agreement to protect their assets, some celebrities and industry titans prefer to keep things simple and old-fashioned — and risky. But when you’re in love, an expensive divorce seems like an impossibility.

A few notorious divorce settlements have reached tens of millions, and several have even broken the multibillion-dollar mark.

From Michael Jordan to Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, these celebrities and powerful people were unlucky in love. And unlucky enough to have the most expensive divorces of all time.

Honorable Mention: Bill and Melinda Gates

Bill Gates and Melinda Gates announced their divorce on May 3, 2021. Elaine Thompson / AP

Years married: 1994-2021

Divorce settlement cost: Ongoing

What went down: On May 3, 2021, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates announced via Twitter that he and Melinda Gates were getting a divorce. The marriage had lasted 27 years, and the two had been heavily involved in charity work together, notably with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has a $50 billion endowment.

The divorce is ongoing, and a settlement hasn’t been reached yet, but if Melinda took half of Bill’s reported wealth of $124 billion, it would make her the second-richest woman in the world with a $62 billion net worth.

It would also be the most expensive divorce of all time.

34. Johnny Carson and Joanna Holland (Tie)

Johnny Carson in 1992. Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo

Years married: 1972-1985

Divorce settlement cost: $20 million

What went down: At the 10th-anniversary party of “The Tonight Show,” Johnny Carson announced that he had married his third wife, former model Joanna Holland, in a secret 1972 wedding. The couple officially remained married 13 years.

The divorce was a long and arduous one, taking nearly three years, finally ending just shy of going to trial with an 80-page settlement of about $20 million in 1985. Holland received a lump cash sum, alimony payments, property, and a large number of shares in Carson Production Corp.

Originally, Holland had asked for $220,000 a month in alimony, telling the court that at the time Carson’s income was a staggering $1.5 million per month.

34. Ron Perelman and Ellen Barkin (Tie)

Ellen Barkin and husband Ron Perelman arrive for the Broadway premiere of Spamalot in New York in 2005. Stuart Ramson / AP Photo

Years married: 2000-2006

Divorce settlement cost: Reportedly $20 million

What went down: Revlon cosmetics owner Ron Perelman and actress Ellen Barkin ended their six-year marriage in 2006 after Barkin received divorce papers and was kicked out of their home.

The reason behind the divorce — besides lack of intimacy and potential infidelity on Perelman’s behalf — was reportedly driven by financial reasons. According to New York Magazine, a clause was issued in their prenup that Barkin would be entitled to an increase in alimony.

Ultimately, the divorce ended on a nasty note when Barkin sued Perelman for investments in the production company that they started together, but Perelman countersued, stating that Barkin and her brother had drained the money from the business.

33. Ewan McGregor and Eve Mavrakis

Ewan McGregor and Eve Mavrakis in 2015. KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx / STRMX2/AP Photo

Years married: 1995-2018

Divorce settlement cost: Half his earnings (approximately $22.5 million)

What went down: Ewan McGregor married production designer Eve Mavrakis. The couple had four children together and mostly seemed to keep their relationship out of the spotlight while McGregor built his acting career.

And then came “Fargo.” In October 2017, photos of Ewan McGregor kissing his television costar, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, were released on McGregor’s daughter’s birthday. Ouch.

Shortly after the affair, the couple started divorce proceedings. The two were locked into a fairly heated and lengthy legal battle, but in the end, a judge ruled Mavrakis was entitled to half of all McGregor’s earnings in the last 20 years. McGregor was also ordered to pay $36,000 a month in spousal support and $15,000 per month per child in child support. Additionally, she got a home worth $6.6 million, five cars and a bank account with $500,000.

With some help of the Way Back Machine, McGregor had an estimated net worth of $45 million in 2017 via CelebrityNetWorth. So she took half of that.

31.Ted Danson and Casey Coates (Tie)

Ted Danson at the Emmys in 2019. Jordan Strauss / Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo

Years married: 1977-1993

Divorce settlement cost: $30 million

What went down: Ted Danson married his second wife, Hollywood producer Casey Coates, in 1977. They had a mostly successful marriage for about 15 years.

Then, in 1993, while filming “Made in America,” Danson started a highly public affair with costar Whoopi Goldberg. Danson and Coates got divorced, and Coates was awarded $30 million.

After the divorce, Danson kept his relationship with Goldberg going, resulting in the infamous 1993 Friars Club incident.

At the encouragement of Goldberg, Danson hosted her roast in blackface, used several racial slurs in his jokes, and at one point ate a plate of watermelon. The entire bit bombed, and the audience was aghast. Who thought that was a good idea? Goldberg.

“I don’t care if you don’t like it. I do,” she said after the performance.

Goldberg and Danson broke up a month later.

31. Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer (Tie)

Kelsey Grammer and Camille Grammer in 2010. Chris Pizzello / AP Photo

Years married: 1997-2011

Divorce settlement cost: $30 million

What went down: Kelsey Grammer hasn’t lived an easy life. And by the time Grammer married Camille Donatacci in 1997, he had already been through two divorces.

Grammer’s first marriage resulted in a six-year separation before divorce proceedings began after only two years of living together. His second marriage lasted just one year before Grammer claimed his spouse had become abusive and fired a gun at him. But for a while, his third marriage to Camille seemed like a better fit.

Then in 2011, the couple filed for divorce. While the divorce proceedings wrapped up pretty fast by Hollywood standards, the fallout hasn’t exactly been amicable. Donatacci has accused Grammer of physical and mental abuse while they were together. He was also a recurring topic on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

30. Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. Adam Scull / Adam Scull/MediaPunch/IPx

Years married: 1990-1999

Divorce settlement cost: $40 million

What went down: Mick Jagger has long had a reputation for being, well, Mick Jagger. But his decades-long relationship with supermodel Jerry Hall seemed to defy the odds. Jagger and Hall’s relationship lasted from 1977 to 1999, and the couple have four children together.

But they weren’t ever legally married, at least not according to the U.K. courts. The couple had a Hindu wedding ceremony in Bali in 1990, but when Hall filed for a divorce after Jagger’s latest affair, things seemed to get dicey. Despite the courts ruling their marriage null and void, the couple were able to get an annulment and reach a settlement agreement.

Hall got an estimated $40 million. Then she married Rupert Murdoch. Or as Gawker put it at the time, “Jerry Hall to Wed a Toad.”

29. Michael Douglas and Diandra Douglas

Michael Douglas with his now ex-wife, Diandra, in New York in January 1989. David Cantor / AP Photo

Years married: 1977-2000

Divorce settlement cost: $45 million

What went down: Michael Douglas married his first wife, Diandra, in 1977 when he was 32 years old. Diandra was 19 years old at the time and the daughter of an Austrian diplomat. Despite the age gap, the couple had one son and stayed married for over 20 years.

In 1995, Diandra filed for divorce and was awarded $45 million dollars plus the couple’s estate in Santa Barbara, California. Michael married Catherine Zeta-Jones that same year.

But that wasn’t the end of it. In 2011, Diandra filed a lawsuit against Michael for half of his earnings from the Wall Street reboot, “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.” That’s because, according to her lawyers, she was entitled to half of any money Michael received from movies he made during their marriage. Since this was a sequel to 1987’s “Wall Street,” her lawyers argued the money made from the new movie should be hers, too.

The lawsuit was thrown out of a New York City court in 2010, with the judge declaring the case needed to be held in California. However, it doesn’t appear that Diandra followed up with the case in the Golden State.

28. Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

Paul McCartney and his now ex-wife, Heather Mills, in 2004. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Years married: 2002-2008

Divorce settlement cost: $48.6 million

What went down: After the death of his longtime wife, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney — then 65 years old — married 40-year-old model, philanthropist and amputee Heather Mills in 2002. The tumultuous marriage lasted four years and was ripe British tabloid fodder.

The two separated in 2006 and divorced in 2008. Initially, Mills asked for $125 million from McCartney’s billion-dollar estate Soon after, she fired her lawyers and represented herself.

Throughout the heavily publicized trial, Mills’ story was inconsistent at best, and she frequently talked to the media, once lamenting, “I’ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer, and I’ve done nothing but charity for 20 years.”

At the conclusion of the case, the judge awarded Mills just $48.6 million, allowed the transcripts to be publicly available, and ordered both parties to stop talking to the press about each other.

After the divorce proceeding’s closing arguments, she poured a jug of water over the head of Paul’s lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, according to The Daily Mail.

27. James Cameron and Linda Hamilton

James Cameron and Linda Hamilton in 1998. Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Years married: 1997-1999

Divorce settlement cost: $50 million

What went down: Director James Cameron is no stranger to marriages, affairs or divorces. On the set of “The Terminator,” he met his future fourth wife, actress Linda Hamilton (aka Sarah Connor). The two married in 1997.

The couple only made it a mere two years, and the divorce was hardly amicable. Hamilton once told U.K magazine, “The Lady,” that their relationship was “terrible on every level.”

In a settlement agreement, Hamilton received $50 million, a sky-high amount for such a short marriage.

The two have never reconciled their differences. In 2019, Hamilton told U.K chat show host Graham Norton, “We don’t talk at all. He rang three times, and it was only on the third call when he mentioned it was about work that I rang him back!”

26. Kenny Rogers and Marianne Gordon

Kenny Rogers at his home in Brentwood, California, in 1978. Wally Fong / AP Photo

Years married: 1977-1993

Divorce settlement cost: $60 million

What went down: Kenny Rogers was no stranger to marriage — or divorce. By the time he met actress Marianna Gordon, he’d already been divorced three times. But hey, fourth time’s a charm, right? The couple married in the 1970s and had one son together.

For more than a decade, it seemed like this one would stick. But the couple filed for divorce after 15 years together.

Unlike a lot of celebrity couples, the split was amicable. Gordon got $60 million in the settlement, and after the divorce, Rogers said, “She deserves every penny.”

Not long after, Rogers went on to marry a fifth time. That marriage lasted until his death in 2020.

25. Madonna and Guy Ritchie

Madonna and Guy Ritchie in 2000. Michael Caulfield / AP Photo

Years married: 2000-2008

Divorce settlement cost: $76 million-$92 million

What went down: Madonna’s romantic life has always been a bit of a reality show, but her marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie in 2000 was one of the most followed events in modern celebrity history.

Heck, they got married in a literal castle in Scotland. The groom wore a kilt. Gwyneth Paltrow was the maid of honor. Donatella Versace was there. It was exactly the kind of high-profile, attention-seeking stunt that Madonna was known for.

But the dream wedding didn’t last long. After getting hitched, Madonna starred in Ritchie’s romantic comedy, “Swept Away,” in 2002. Rated one of the worst films of all time, the on-screen awkwardness seemed to mirror real life. While adopting their third child, Madonna filed for divorce in 2008. Madonna gave Ritchie between $76 million and $92 million dollars.

24. Cindy Silva and Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner and his wife, Cindy, at a gala benefit in 1992 with former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, left, and former President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Years married: 1978-1994

Divorce settlement cost: $80 million

What went down: While the couple met and married way before Kevin Costner became a big Hollywood hotshot, the passion of their love didn’t last and ended after 16 years of marriage back in 2004.

Even though restaurateur Cindy Silva wanted to reconcile the relationship multiple times even after the rumored affairs of Costner came to light, she ended up going home with $80 million dollars.

23. Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison

Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison arrive at the White House in 1998 for a dinner. Neshan H. Naltchayan / AP Photo

Years married: 1983-2004

Divorce settlement cost: Between $85 million and $118 million

What went down: While this actor’s and screenwriter’s relationship lasted for 17 years, the pair separated in 2000 and divorced three years later due to speculations that Harrison Ford was unfaithful.

After a long and heated court battle, the couple eventually divorced and cited the reason as “irreconcilable differences” on their divorce papers.

Both requested joint custody of their two children, and Melissa ended up receiving a minimum of $85 million, which included a percentage of royalties from Harrison’s most well-known movies — including the “Star Wars” and the “Indiana Jones” series.

Mathison, the screenwriter whose credits include “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” died in 2015, at the age of 65, after fighting neuroendocrine cancer.

21. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving (Tie)

Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving in April 1988. AP Photo

Years married: 1985-1989

Divorce settlement cost: $100 million

What went down: After four years of marriage, actress Amy Irving and director Steven Spielberg decided to divorce in 1989. Irving claimed that she felt like she was a politician’s wife and was expected to follow certain rules that didn’t comply with her ethos and personality.

Before Spielberg, Irving was living underneath her famous father’s shadow — Jules Irving. She indicated this back-to-back concoction of relationships led her to have an identity crisis, which brought to light the fact that she needed to figure out her own identity, sans Spielberg.

At the end of it all, the marriage ended amicably, and Irving was awarded $100 million after the judge refused to accept a prenuptial agreement that was written on a cocktail napkin.

21. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren (Tie)

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren at the closing ceremonies for the Presidents Cup in San Francisco in 2009. Scot Tucker / AP Photo

Years married: 2004-2010

Divorce settlement cost: $100 million

What went down: Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or were born after 2009), you’ve probably heard about this infamous divorce battle.

After crashing his Escalade into his Florida home and fighting with his wife in the same night, Tiger Woods admitted to having an affair with another woman during his six years of marriage with Elin Nordegren.

Soon after, though, more women —around 17 to be exact — came forward stating that they’ve been romantic with the famous golf player. Woods and Nordegren eventually divorced in 2010, and she was awarded $100 million.

20. Frank and Jamie McCourt

Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt holding Dodgers jerseys in 2004. Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Years married: 1979-2011

Divorce settlement cost: $130 million

What went down: Frank McCourt is the CEO of McCourt Global, a real estate development company that focuses on building and selling parking lots. While not the most interesting job in the world, McCourt used his family’s real estate ties to build a hobby for his other passion — buying sports teams.

After relocating from Boston to Los Angeles, McCourt bought the Los Angeles Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group in 2004, using debt to cover the hefty $430 million purchase. McCourt’s wife, Jamie, was installed as CEO of the team.

Then, on Oct. 14, 2009, the couple announced plans to separate. At the time, Jamie insisted the focus was on the Dodgers getting to the World Series that year. But the day after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs, Jamie was fired as CEO. She officially filed for divorce not long after.

The ensuing legal battle all came down to who got the Dodgers. A settlement agreement finally arranged by the couple depended on Major League Baseball agreeing to a 17-year TV agreement. Ultimately, the networks involved bailed out. Jamie received $130 million, and Frank got the team in 2011.

Frank lost the team in 2012 due to financial mismanagement. At the time, the divorce was the most expensive in California history.

19. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey

Neil Diamond performs at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009 in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Years married: 1969-1995

Divorce settlement cost: $150 million

What went down: The legendary singer/songwriter was married to Marcia Murphey for 25 years before Murphey filed for divorce.

There were rumors that Neil Diamond was unfaithful toward the end of their relationship. However, Diamond and Murphey both decided to keep the details of their divorce a secret by citing the reason was due to irreconcilable differences.

Nonetheless, Diamond was cordial throughout the whole process and even stated, “She deserves half my fortune. I wish her all the happiness $150 million can bring.”

18. Boris Berezovsky and Galina Besharova

Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky arrives at the high court in London in 2012. Sang Tan / AP Photo

Years married: 1991-2011

Divorce settlement cost: $160 million

What went down: After divorcing his first wife, Boris Berezovsky married Galina Besharova in 1991. But in 2010, their separation became the largest divorce settlement in London with a $160 million reward due to no prenup.

The reason? “Unreasonable behavior.” The hearing took 45 seconds to complete where Besharova claimed they “had worked very hard to reach an amicable settlement.”

17. Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy

Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy with the NBA championship trophy after the Bulls’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers in 1991. Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Years married: 1989-2006

Divorce settlement cost: $168 million

What went down: Juanita Vanoy and Michael Jordan got married in Las Vegas in 1989 during Jordan’s second season with the Chicago Bulls, but things turned sour in 2002 when Vanoy filed for divorce.

While the divorce itself seemed amicable, the media claimed that the divorce occurred due to Jordan’s constant cheating and drug use.

However, they tried to make things work for the sake of their three children and didn’t finalize the divorce until 2006, where Vanoy was awarded $168 million, the custody of the children, and their Chicago estate.

16. Charles Edgar Fipke and Marlene Fipke

Charles Fipke stands in the winners circle with his horse, Tale of Ekati, after winning the Wood Memorial horse race at Aqueduct Race Track in New York in 2008. Ed Betz / AP Photo

Years married: 1970s-2000

Divorce settlement cost: $200 million

What went down: A diamond was certainly Charles Edgar Fipke’s best friend. However, Marlene Fipke was not.

Fortunately, for her, she did gain a good chunk of his diamond company’s fortune by receiving $200 million dollars, which incorporated one-fifth of Charles’ business for $123 million and a few other assets.

While this divorce occurred right before he sold the company and it was considered the most expensive divorce settlement in Canada at that time, he did say that it was the “Best money I ever spent!“

15. Stewart and Carol Rahr

Pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr and wife Carol Rahr divorced after 43 years of marriage. The Rahr Foundation

Years married: 1969-2013

Divorce settlement cost: $250 million

What went down: After 43 years of marriage, pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr and wife Carol Rahr announced that they were splitting after Stewart was publicly served his divorced papers right in front of his Park Avenue apartment.

Carol decided to file for divorce after Stewart made a scene by cursing at a manager at Nobu Fifty-Seven over arrangements for her surprise birthday party.

Apparently, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back because a source claimed that “Carol always knew what was going on [with his affairs], but recently, he seems even more out there and generous with his money. He went out and bought 12 Teslas to give away to his friends, he gave $7 million for prostate cancer research. She fears Stewart is so out of control he could give away all his money, half of which is hers.”

14. Roman and Irina Abramovich

Russian billionaire oil tycoon Roman Abramovich with Irina at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo outside St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2003. AP Photo

Years married: 1991-2007

Divorce settlement cost: $300 million

What went down: Divorce was in the air when Roman Abramovich was rumored to have been spotted with a Russian model named Daria Zhukova while he was married to Irina Abramovich.

After 15 years of marriage and five children, things did not end the way Irina expected.

In the settlement, she ended up with four homes in the United Kingdom and $300 million. Even though that sounds like a lot of money, apparently she received only 1.6 percent of his fortune.

13. Robert Johnson and Sheila Crump

Black Entertainment Television chairman and founder Robert Johnson in 1999. Diane Bondaref / AP Photo

Years married: 1969-2001

Divorce settlement cost: $400 million

What went down: After 33 years of marriage, Sheila Crump filed for divorce from Robert Johnson — the founder of BET — due to the fact that Johnson had a three-year affair during the span of their relationship.

However, while the three-year affair was the main cause of the separation, professional differences may have created a hole in their relationship as well. Crump informed her then-husband multiple times that she didn’t like how women were being depicted on the BET network, especially on shows young children were watching.

Johnson ignored her concerns claiming the network wasn’t “about education, it’s about entertainment.”

Two years before the divorce, Johnson sold BET to Viacom for $3 billion, which was why Crump was awarded the $400 million settlement.

12. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore

Mel Gibson in 2010 with then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he had a child in 2009, while married to Robyn Moore. Matt Sayles / AP Photo

Years married: 1980-2011

Divorce settlement cost: $425 million

What went down: With a total of 31 years of marriage and seven children underneath their belt, Robyn Moore filed for divorce from Mel Gibson in April of 2009 after already being separated since 2006.

The pushing point? When Mel Gibson received a DUI and had a weird anti-semitic episode which he vocalized directly to a police officer in 2006. The split became final around 2011 — two years after news broke that Gibson had fathered a daughter with his then-girlfriend, Okasana Grigorieva — and cost Gibson nearly $425 million dollars.

However, according to TMZ, Moore will be receiving a heavy chunk of Gibson’s retirement money, thus resulting in around an $800 million settlement. Ouch.

11. Craig and Wendy McCaw

Craig McCaw married Susan Rasinski (pictured), who is former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, after divorcing Wendy. Ronald Zak / AP Photo

Years married: 1974-1997

Divorce settlement cost: $460 million

What went down: What’s your husband’s is yours, right? Well, that’s exactly what Wendy McCaw thought when her husband Craig filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage for personal differences.

After Craig sold his communications company, McCaw Cellular, he made a hefty amount of money and decided to separate from his wife. Wendy sought half of his earning, where she ended up receiving $460 million dollars.

10. Dmitry Rybolovlev and Elena Rybolovlev

Dmitry Rybolovlev, president of the football club AS Monaco, attends a 2013 game. Lionel Cironneau / AP Photo

Years married: 1987-2014

Divorce settlement cost: $604 million

What went down: Handing over $604 million to an ex-lover sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. However, when you’re a Russian billionaire who was originally supposed to provide a $4.5 billion settlement, well, the new amount doesn’t sound too bad.

Unfortunately, for Elena Rybolovlev, she lost out on a lot of money because her ex-husband filed an appeal to which the Swiss courts happily accepted. She did get to keep two Swiss chalets and also took back a $28 million ring.

But what exactly caused the divorce in the first place? Well, Elena Rybolovlev claimed that he cheated with “young conquests with his friends and other oligarchs.” However, Dmitry claimed that he didn’t want the marriage to end and felt that Elena shared similar emotions about the matter. Either way, they ended things and went on their way to live separate lives.

9. Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi

Adnan Khashoggi arrives at Manhattan Federal Court in 1990. AP Photo

Years married: 1961-1974

Divorce settlement cost: $874 million

What went down: While international arms dealer, Adnan Khashoggi, was known to be one of the richest men in the world, his divorce from Soraya Khashoggi gained international attention due to their $874 million dollar settlement.

After 13 years of marriage and five children, the couple decided to divorce in 1974, where Soraya originally demanded $2.3 billion dollars. The divorce took five years to process and removed Adnan from his financial status he was so famously known for.

6. Steve Wynn and Elaine Wynn (Tie)

Steve Wynn and Elaine Wynn with their granddaughter Marlowe Early in 2008 in Las Vegas. Isaac Brekken / AP Photo

Years married: 1963-1986

Divorce settlement cost: $1 billion

What went down: Being together since they were 18 years old, Steve and Elaine Wynn were married and divorced two times during the span of their relationship.

It’s been reported that they split amicably in 2010 for good. The cause of the divorce was that they just felt like they weren’t suited to be in a romantic relationship with each other. But they continued to be great business partners since they divorced by opening the Bellagio together.

So what did Elaine receive exactly? An even split of their stakes in the Wynn company — yes, those well-known hotels — and Steve would always vote for her to stay on the board.

6. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Hamm (Tie)

Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Hamm attend the Time 100 gala in 2012 in New York. Evan Agostini / AP Photo

Years married: 1988-2014

Divorce settlement cost: $1 billion

What went down: Nothing is more painful than being awarded less than what you think you deserve, especially when you feel like you’ve helped build a multibillion-dollar company with your ex-husband.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Sue Ann Hamm, the ex-wife of Harold Hamm, aka the creator of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources.

Instead of being awarded half of Hamm’s $18 billion net worth, he appealed her appeal and offered a nearly $1 billion check to put the divorce behind him.

While Sue Ann hesitated to cash the check at first, she eventually took the money. She claimed that she was owed more because during the span of their marriage, she contributed to the growth of the company as the former executive at Continental and as a partner to Mr. Hamm. However, the Oklahoma courts decided to side with Mr. Hamm, stating that he owned the majority of the shares before he got married.

6. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Torv (Tie)

Rupert Murdoch and Anna (Torv) Murdoch arrive at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 1998. Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Years married: 1967-1999

Divorce settlement cost: $1 billion

What went down: Sometimes you just gotta take what you can get, right? For Anna Torv, that was the lesson from her failed marriage to media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Anna reportedly wanted desperately to save the marriage, but she claimed that “[Rupert] had no interest in that whatsoever.”

She also stated that he was “hard, ruthless, and determined that he was going to go through with this no matter what I wanted.”

While her husband was worth $7.8 billion at the time, Torv walked away with $1.7 billion — with $100 million of that being in cash.

While these two had a tumultuous divorce, they both ended up marrying other people.

5. Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone and his wife, Slavica, at the Croatia Open ATP Tour in 2007. The couple divorced in 2009, on the grounds of his “unreasonable behavior.” Darko Bandic / AP Photo

Years married: 1985-2009

Divorce settlement cost: $1.2 billion

What went down: When former model, Slavica Ecclestone, filed for divorce in 2008 from Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of Formula One racing, for “unreasonable behavior” after 24 years of marriage, she received $1.2 billion when it was finalized in 2009.

However, Slavica wasn’t the only one who ended up with extra cash in her pocket. It was revealed in 2014 that Bernie ended up receiving about $500 million since the divorce had been settled from Slavica’s own trust fund. I guess we could consider this divorce a win-win on both behalfs.

4. Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng

Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Wendi, arrive at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho in 2012. Paul Sakuma / AP Photo

Years married: 1999-2013

Divorce settlement cost: $1.8 billion

What went down: Having this be Rupert Murdoch’s third divorce, you would think things would’ve ended up differently for this billionaire, but that wasn’t the case.

Wendi Deng and Murdoch married only 17 days after his second divorce was finalized, and after 13 years, things came to an end. According to a sealed document, “the relationship between the husband and wife has broken down irretrievably.”

In addition to the money that Deng received, she was also awarded the Fifth Avenue apartment because it was considered their two daughters’ home.

3. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein

Jocelyn Wildenstein claimed she altered her face to look more feline. Star Max/AP Images

Years married: 1978-1999

Divorce settlement cost: $2.5 billion

What went down: Probably known as one of the messiest and weirdest divorces that have ever occurred in history, Alex and Jocelyn Wildenstein also hold the record for one of the highest divorce settlements, ever.

Jocelyn Wildenstein received $2.5 billion, and she’ll get $100 million a year for the next nine years to help maintain her lifestyle.

But why did they decide to get divorced in the first place? Essentially, her plastic surgery practices began the separation process. Jocelyn claimed she altered her face to look more feline to appear more attractive to her then-husband. But, apparently, it had the opposite effect.

Later, she found her husband in bed with a 21-year-old model, which led to an altercation where Jocelyn claimed Alec pulled a gun on her and her bodyguards. The police were called, and Alec spent the night in jail.

Soon after, Jocelyn filed for divorce. During the two-year messy divorce battle, it was reported that Alec cut off Jocelyn’s phone and credit cards and even fired her accountant.

2. Vladimir Potanin and Natalia Potanina

Interros Investment Company president Vladimir Potanin in 2010. Dmitry Astakhov / AP Photo/RIA-Novosti

Years married: 1983-2014

Divorce settlement cost: $6.4 billion

What went down: Going through a divorce after many years of marriage can be hard. But throw a billion dollars into the mix, and frankly, things can get nasty.

For Vladimir and Natalia Potanina, that’s exactly what happened when Natalia sought $15 billion from her ex-husband’s estate after claiming she was humiliated by Vladimir when he started a relationship with an employee 15 years his junior.

While she ended up not receiving the settlement that she wanted, Natalia did get around $6.4 billion dollars in addition to already being rewarded $4.8 million from a sale of a luxury apartment in central Moscow.

1. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott

Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott in 2018. Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx / AP Photo

Years married: 1993-2019

Divorce settlement cost: $38 billion

What went down: Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott first met when the two were working at the New York-based hedge fund, D.E. Shaw. The couple married in 1994, moved to Seattle, and Bezos began forming his Amazon empire. The couple had four children together and managed to remain a couple for an impressive 25 years.

In 2019, they issued a joint statement on Bezos’ Twitter account announcing their divorce after a trial separation and promising to “remain friends” (as most high-profile couples do).

As part of the highly covered settlement, MacKenzie received 25 percent of the couple’s Amazon stock (roughly 4 percent of the company), but Jeff retained voting rights over her shares. His other ventures — including The Washington Post and Blue Origin — were not included in the agreement.

Of course, nothing Bezos does is totally controversy-free. The National Enquirer heavily covered the divorce proceedings, prompting Bezos to write a tell-all blog post accusing the publisher of trying to extort him.

Scott is now one of the world’s richest people who can’t seem to give her wealth away fast enough.