Divorce brings suffering

The influential billionaire couple Bill and Melinda Gates announced last week that she was divorcing after 27 years of marriage. In the divorce filing, the couple said their marriage is "irretrievably broken." It's unclear how the couple will divide their assets, but it will likely be one of the largest divorce settlements in history. But who came before them? M went to investigate.Text: Fleur de Jong
Statue:

1. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott | At least 28 billion euros

The couple met when they were both working at DE Shaw in New York. After the two moved to Seattle, MacKenzie helped Jeff build Amazon. In 2019, the couple decided to divorce and announced the terms of their divorce. MacKenzie received about 4% of Amazon's shares, worth more than 28 billion euros. This amount has now increased as the shares have become more valuable. Last March, MacKenzie remarried and changed her last name to Scott. The divorce puts MacKenzie as the third richest woman in the world. 

2. Bill and Sue Gross | 1.07 billion euros

In 2016, Sue divorced Pimco asset management founder Bill Gross. Sue received more than 1 billion euros as a result of this divorce. This amount was made up of the value of, among other things, a Picasso painting that Sue later managed to sell for 29 million euros and a beach house on Laguna Beach. While ex-husband Bill tried to keep the three pet cats, Sue eventually got custody of all three cats as well. 

3. Steve and Elaine Wynn | 700 million euros

The co-founders of casino giant Wynn Resorts divorced in 1986, but subsequently remarried. In 2010, the marriage of Steve and Elaine Wynn finally came to an end. After the divorce, Elaine received 11 million euros in shares, with an estimated value of 653 million euros. Steve later sold 94 million euros worth of shares, part of which he had to give to Elaine as part of the deal. Steve resigned as CEO of his company in February 2018 following allegations of sexual harassment and sold all his shares. Elaine is now the largest individual shareholder of Wynn Resorts. 

4. Harold Hamm and Sue Arnall | 802 million euros

After three years of legal proceedings, oil tycoon Harold tried to divorce his wife Sue in 2015 by offering her a check for no less than 780 million euros. Sue refused and appealed for a larger portion. Harold is CEO of Continental Resources, an important player in the American shale market. Harold's fortune is estimated at more than 11 billion euros. Sue felt shortchanged with 780 million. The Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected Sue's appeal, after which she agreed to the 780 million euros. 

5. Roy E. and Patricia Disney | 493 million euros

Roy and his wife filed for divorce in 2007 after 52 years of marriage. Roy was a cousin of Walt Disney and worth approximately 1 billion euros. Due to the divorce, Roy lost almost half of his fortune. In 2008, Roy remarried writer and producer Leslie DeMeuse. Roy died a year later.