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Before Bill Gates: 5 of the most expensive celebrity divorce settlements ever – from Jeff Bezos to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods

As Bill and Melinda Gates begin divorce proceedings, we look at five of the most expensive divorces ever. Photo: @forbes/Instagram
As Bill and Melinda Gates begin divorce proceedings, we look at five of the most expensive divorces ever. Photo: @forbes/Instagram

  • Retaining a huge shareholding in Amazon has seen Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott become one of the richest women in the world
  • Rupert Murdoch’s ex Anna Maria Mann received a multibillion-dollar payout in 1999, while Tiger Woods dug deep for Elin Nordegren in 2010

Who would’ve thought that the world was capable of talking about anything except Covid-19 – but it’s finally happened due to the sudden and unfortunate split of Bill and Melinda Gates. The couple has announced that they are to divorce after 27 years of marriage, with court documents revealing the duo didn’t have a prenup in place, though there is some sort of separation contract.
If you thought weddings are expensive, then don’t even think about divorce – there have been some staggeringly expensive splits between the rich and famous. Here are five of the most high-profile divorce settlements, being raked over again in reverse order, in light of the news the Bill and Melinda will have some US$127 billion to divide up between them.
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5. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, US$110 million

Tiger Woods with former wife Elin Nordegren. Photo: Reuters
Tiger Woods with former wife Elin Nordegren. Photo: Reuters
From being considered the best golfer of all time to a scandal that shattered his golden boy image, Tiger Woods has seen it all.
That scandal also resulted in the end of his six years of marriage to Elin Nordegren. The couple met when Nordegren moved to work in the US from Sweden, but the marriage ended in 2010 after it was revealed he was having an affair with a New York nightclub manager. Though reports at the time suggested huge settlements of half a billion dollars or more, the true figure is widely reported to be around US$110 million.

4. Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy, US$168 million

Michael Jordan and former wife Juanita Vanoy. Photo: Reuters
Michael Jordan and former wife Juanita Vanoy. Photo: Reuters

Michael and Juanita Jordan mutually and amicably decided to end their 17-year marriage. The two first filed for divorce in 2002 but reconciled shortly after. In 2006, they filed for divorce again. According to Chicago Business, Vanoy received US$168 million in the divorce settlement, one of the largest settlements in sports history.