What Did the Most Expensive Divorce in History Cost?
The most expensive divorce in history cost an estimated $4.5 billion US Dollars (USD), as of 2014. Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian oligarch, was ordered by a Geneva judge to pay his ex-wife a settlement of half of his approximate total worth of $8.8 billion USD. Business magnate Rybolovlev accumulated the majority of his wealth through his ownership of the largest potassium fertilizer company in Russia, which he sold his stakes in 2010 for a large profit. He also is owner of French soccer team, Monaco Football Club. Since Rybolovlev’s wealth was mainly tied up in trusts and real estate, his wife had not actually collected the full settlement.
More about divorces:
The most expensive celebrity divorce is thought to be for actor Mel Gibson, who was ordered to pay his wife $425 million USD after their 31 year marriage ended in 2001.
Couples with no assets are 70% more likely to divorce than couples with at least $10,000 USD in assets, according to a 2009 University of Virginia study.
Russia is the country with the highest divorce rate, with five divorces for every 1,000 people, according to the 2012 United Nations Demographic Yearbook.
In relation to the third bullet point, does anyone else wonder why the divorce rate in Russia is so high?
Though this is just a guess, my assumption is that it may be due to how marriages in Russia could possibly be much different than how they are in the United States.
For those who live in American (myself included), even though it's very easy to assume that the way marriages are set up, is the exact same way they are around everywhere else, that certainly isn't always the case. One still has to wonder though.
After all, quite often, the reasons for a divorce can be rather complex. It could be several contributing factors, and not just one.
Hazali
While many people see a divorce as something that's completely destructive, and in some ways, it certainly is, I like how these tidbits focus more of the costs of a divorce than anything else. After all, don't forget that if someone is in a bad relationship, and they end up wanting a divorce, for the most part that's only possible if they have a good lawyer, and most of all, a decent amount of money.
While I've never had an experience with a divorce before, from reading bits and pieces of this article, my guess is that in this case, the reason why these divorces were so expensive is because they were dealing with celebrities and the like, especially in the case of Mel Gibson. While I don't know how much it would cost to get a divorce in a regular family, I can definitely imagine that it would be a lot less.
Follow wiseGEEK
Discussion Comments
In relation to the third bullet point, does anyone else wonder why the divorce rate in Russia is so high?
Though this is just a guess, my assumption is that it may be due to how marriages in Russia could possibly be much different than how they are in the United States.
For those who live in American (myself included), even though it's very easy to assume that the way marriages are set up, is the exact same way they are around everywhere else, that certainly isn't always the case. One still has to wonder though.
After all, quite often, the reasons for a divorce can be rather complex. It could be several contributing factors, and not just one.
While many people see a divorce as something that's completely destructive, and in some ways, it certainly is, I like how these tidbits focus more of the costs of a divorce than anything else. After all, don't forget that if someone is in a bad relationship, and they end up wanting a divorce, for the most part that's only possible if they have a good lawyer, and most of all, a decent amount of money.
While I've never had an experience with a divorce before, from reading bits and pieces of this article, my guess is that in this case, the reason why these divorces were so expensive is because they were dealing with celebrities and the like, especially in the case of Mel Gibson. While I don't know how much it would cost to get a divorce in a regular family, I can definitely imagine that it would be a lot less.
Post your comments