The most expensive divorces in history, ahead of Bill and Melinda Gates
The divorce of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and MacKenzie Scott, was considered the most expensive in history, until the announcement of the separation of Bill and Melinda Gates on Tuesday, which is complex.
The announcement of Bill and Melinda Gates' divorce on Tuesday surprised the business, health and development communities. Both will continue to "work together at the foundation" in their name, assured the ex-spouses. The unwinding of the economic ties between the two ex-spouses should however prove to be complex, due to the fortune of the founder of Microsoft and the extent of his interests.
Two years earlier, the divorce of Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott had raised fears about the future of Amazon, which had finally proved to be unfounded. Overview of multi-billionaire divorces in recent years and their consequences.
1. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos: amicable divorce
The divorce of the richest man in the world has apparently gone smoothly. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos had met when they both worked for DE Shaw investment fund in New York. A year after their marriage in 1993, the newlyweds moved to Seattle, where Jeff Bezos created Amazon.
Originally a simple online bookstore, the company is now the world leader in e-commerce and remote IT services to businesses (“cloud computing”), as well as one of the largest market capitalizations in the world. His wife, a graduate like him from Princeton University, was very involved at the time.
When they entered into their divorce agreement in April 2019, MacKenzie Scott Bezos sold 75% of their joint shares in Amazon and Blue Origin to her ex-husband, along with the voting rights associated with his shares. It nevertheless retains 4% of Amazon's capital, a fortune valued at $ 35 billion according to the price of the time. Since then, the e-commerce giant's share price has appreciated by 75%, according to Forbes.
2. Bill and Sue Gross: a Picasso, three cats… and $ 1.3 billion
Unlike the Bezos' divorce, controlled communication, that of Bill and Sue Gross hit the headlines. The creator of the Pimco fund, a specialist in investments in bonds for individuals, had amassed a fortune estimated by Forbes at $ 2.5 billion. His wife filed for a divorce in 2016, which was granted to him a year later, with financial compensation of $ 1.3 billion.
The billionaire was fired from his own fund in 2014 for his eccentricities, including a eulogy for his cat in a letter to his shareholders. He began by begging his wife to come back, before insulting him, according to emails sent to the courts. Bill Gross also accused his wife of threatening him with an "object that looked like a knife." The lawsuit further showed that the billionaire hired private detectives to monitor his ex-wife's movements.
Among the assets passed to Sue Gross after her divorce were a house in Laguna Beach, Calif., Valued at an estimated $ 36 million, and a Picasso painting, "Le Repos," which the divorcee sold for $ 35. millions of dollars. Sue Gross had already seized the work of art before judgment was pronounced: the copy her husband had was a fake, which she had painted herself. Final blow for Bill Gross, his ex-wife had custody of their three cats.
3. Steve and Elaine Wynn: agitated divorce in Paradise
The co-founders of the American giant of the luxury casino and hotel group Wynn Resorts divorced for the second time in 2010. According to Forbes, Elaine, who has served on the board of the group based in Paradise, Nevada, for about ten years. years, received 11 million shares when the divorce was granted, which amounted to $ 795 million at the time. Steve Wynn also sold $ 115 million in shares, and transferred part of the latter sum to his ex-wife.
Because of the conditions of the divorce, Elaine Wynn still does not have the right to intervene in the governance of the group. After former company employees accused Steve Wynn of sexual harassment, the ex-tycoon sold all of his shares, which made up 12% of the company. His ex-wife is now the company's main shareholder.
4. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall: a check cashed too quickly
The divorce of Harold Hamm, self-made man turned billionaire thanks to oil, has caused much ink to flow in the United States. After several years of legal proceedings, the oil mogul attempted to ship the divorce by writing a check for $ 974.79 million to his ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall. The latter cashed it, before changing her mind and appealing to try to get more.
But a judge ruled that the fact that Sue Ann Arnall had cashed the check was tantamount to accepting Harold Hamm's offer. However, the media considered at the time that she could have obtained up to 5 billion, or half of her ex-husband's fortune. Sue Ann Arnall then used the money from the divorce to fund a political campaign against the judge, succeeding in causing him to lose her post.
5. Roy and Patricia Disney: divorce calm after 52 years together
Roy Disney and his wife Patricia filed for divorce in 2007, when they were 77 and 72, respectively. The fortune of Walt Disney's nephew was estimated at $ 1.3 billion at the time. His ex-wife recovered almost half of that amount after their separation. Roy Disney died in 2009 and Patricia in 2012.
The “Roy and Patricia Disney” foundation still exists. Endowed with approximately $ 122 million, this foundation is particularly dedicated to the environment and social causes in the Los Angeles area. His functioning had not been affected by the divorce. No doubt a role model for Bill and Melinda Gates.
