$19.7 million
Monty Python Star John Cleese and his wife Alyce Faye ended their marriage in 2009. Apparently, Cleese’s wife benefited so much from the divorce settlement that she became richer than him.
He reportedly paid $19.7 million, as well as $13 million in assets which included a New York apartment, a home in London, and a beach house in Santa Barbara.
$1.2 billion
In 2009, the marriage ended between one of the richest people in the United Kingdom and a Croatian model. Sounds like such a good match, right? The two we are referring to are Formula One Executive Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica Radić.
The settlement was estimated at $1.2 billion although it wasn’t confirmed. Oddly enough, it seems that Radić is paying off her ex-husband.
$10 million
Well, that was one short but expensive marriage! Actress Robin Givens and former professional boxer, Mike Tyson were married for only 10 months and she managed to get $10 million from the divorce settlement. It’s rumored that she even got more than that. Some people believe that she married the former boxer for his money.
The two had a very tumultuous relationship, with allegations of violence and spousal abuse on Tyson's part. In a joint interview with Tyson and Givens with Barbara Walters, Givens described her marriage with Tyson as "torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could have possible imagined."
$14 million
Lance Armstrong and Kristin Richard fell for one another in 1997 when he was facing testicular cancer. She quit her job in order to move with him to France and Armstrong won the Tour de France five times during their marriage. Their marriage ended in 2003.
Richard commented in an interview, “Before I got divorced, I was personally unfamiliar with trial, or at least trial of serious, heart-wrenching proportions. I figured that life went smoothly if you tried hard, and if you messed up, or things weren't working out, you just tried harder.”
$150 billion
One of the most powerful couples in the world, Bill and Melinda Gates shocked people around the world when they announced their divorce after 27 years together. The two met at Microsoft where Melinda was working as a marketing manager. The geeky romance took in the year 1987 and by 1994 they were married.
Since their marriage, the two have created one of the most significant philanthropical organizations in the world involving billions of dollars. Unsurprisingly, they now have to wade paperwork of dividing their $150 billion dollar fortune. This is no easy task and though details are private, a lot is at stake, apparently even the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, their famous non-profit.