In 2019, Jeff Bezos was the richest man in the world. So, naturally, when he decided to divorce his longtime wife, novelist MacKenzie Scott, their settlement ran into the billions: approximately $35 billion, to be exact.
As part of the divorce settlement, Scott retained a 4% stake in Amazon, the company founded by Bezos in 1994, where she was also one of the first employees.
Since then, Scott has become one of the world’s leading philanthropists, dedicating a large portion of her fortune to progressive causes, particularly the defense of LGBTQ+ rights and environmental protection. Bezos, for his part, has moved on with journalist Lauren Sánchez, whom he married in June 2025 in Venice. His fortune is now estimated at some $273.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Rupert Murdoch and Anna dePeyster
When Rupert Murdoch divorced his second wife, Anna dePeyster, their 1999 separation became the most expensive in history at that point. After 31 years of marriage and three children, dePeyster reportedly received a settlement estimated at $1.7 billion, including $110 million paid directly in cash.
But Murdoch seems to love marriages almost as much as he loves divorces. Barely 17 days after his divorce from dePeyster was officially finalized, the media mogul was already putting a ring on the finger of Wendi Deng, 38 years his junior, who became his third wife following a ceremony aboard the billionaire’s luxury yacht.
Since then, Murdoch has remarried twice: a fourth time in 2016 to model and actress Jerry Hall, and then a fifth time in 2024 to biologist Elena Zhukova. His fortune is currently estimated at $24.4 billion by Forbes, making him significantly wealthier than he was in 1999—even before his divorce.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
