Let’s get real: love in Hollywood is always like a fairy tale. But once the fairy dust has settled and things do come apart? That’s when the drama and the astounding dollar amounts come into play. Celebrity breakups aren’t emotional; they’re economic earthquakes that will shake industries, headlines, and fortunes. Some divorces are dirty, some rather polite, but they all serve as reminders that where billions are at stake, there isn’t really such a thing as a straightforward goodbye. Here are the 10 most costly celebrity divorces in history, beginning with the least expensive (relatively!) and escalating to the ones that redefined financial history.
10. Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy – $168 Million
Even the best of all time couldn’t avoid this one. Even after 17 years of marriage, NBA great Michael Jordan and his wife, Juanita Van, parted ways, which cost him $168 million—a whopping amount plus millions in attorneys’ fees. The payout is one of the biggest in sports history. For Jordan, who ruled the court with six championship rings, this was one foe he just couldn’t outsmart.
9. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey – $150 Million
Neil Diamond’s divorce from Marcia Murphey after 25 years of marriage cost him an eye-watering $150 million. That represented half his wealth at the time, but Diamond grumbled not. Indeed, he famously declared Marcia “worth every penny.” It was one of the most elegant responses ever to such a huge financial blow for a man who made his living from love songs.
8. Frank and Jamie McCourt – $130 Million
When Frank and Jamie McCourt divorced as owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, it wasn’t their 30-year union that was terminated—it put the entire baseball team in shambles. Jamie took with her $130 million, with lawyer fees heaped on top of that amount. The Dodgers ultimately recovered, but this split ranks as one of the costliest in sports history.
7. Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl – $125 Million
Country music icon Garth Brooks had his wealth take a big loss when his union with Sandy Mahl came to an end. Brooks settled with Mahl after 15 years of marriage for $125 million—a cost that works out to close to $9 million per year of marriage. It probably won’t get a song written about it, but it certainly shows that heartache in Nashville can have a very tangible price tag.
6. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren – $100 Million
Tiger Woods was perhaps invincible on the golf course, but his personal life was a different story altogether. After a very public infidelity scandal, Woods and Elin Nordegren settled their divorce for $100 million. It was a bitter chapter in the life of the golf great, one that reminded everyone that the brightest stars can indeed fall hard.
5. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving – $100 Million
Hollywood was taught a tough lesson about prenups by Steven Spielberg’s brief union with actress Amy Irving. Their “prenup,” written on a napkin, was dismissed in court, costing Spielberg $100 million after only four years of marriage. Irving overcame the weak contract, demonstrating that when it comes to love and money, napkins don’t make it in court.
4. Mel Gibson and Robyn Denise Moore – $425 Million
Having married Mel Gibson 31 years earlier, Robyn Denise Moore’s divorce was one of Hollywood’s most costly. Robyn left with half of Gibson’s wealth—approximately $425 million then. The actor’s wallet was hit hard, but with the length of their marriage and history involved, it was as much of a money story as a human one.
3. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Murdoch Mann – $1.7 Billion
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch had one of the most staggering divorces on record when he separated from Anna Murdoch Mann after 32 years. The payout was around $1.7 billion, with $110 million paid in cash. More astonishing still? Only 17 days after completing the divorce, Murdoch remarried. The haste of his recovery was almost as well-known as the magnitude of the payout itself.
2. MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos – $38.3 Billion
When Amazon creator Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie Scott, divorced after 25 years of marriage, it was the biggest divorce payout ever: $38.3 billion in Amazon shares. The divorce immediately made Scott one of the world’s wealthiest women, and Bezos continued as the public face of Amazon. For a change, a divorce wasn’t merely sensationalist fodder—it was international financial news.
1. Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates – More than $6 Billion
At the top of the list is Bill and Melinda Gates’ end of their almost three-decade marriage. Although the terms are not made public, Melinda got a minimum of $6 billion in stock payouts when they broke up. Unlike most celebrity splits, theirs was amicable, with both committing to carrying on their shared philanthropic work. Nevertheless, it is one of the costliest breakups in history, showing that even the strongest alliances can ultimately fail.
From record-breaking divorces to courtroom wars over napkins, these divorces prove love in the limelight comes with a price, and sometimes at astronomical costs. Bottom line, money may soften the blow, but heartbreak is not discriminatory, regardless of one’s wealth or fame.