CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR AUDIO NEWSLETTER – DadCast
MONEY, THAT’S WHAT I WANT – The top ten eye-watering divorce settlements
Big split: Macca and Heather
THE split of Paul and Heather Mills McCartney could pave the way for one of the costliest divorces of all time. Legal experts have suggested Heather, 38, could claim £200 million of the ex-Beatle’s £825 million fortune after their four-year marriage broke up. The split follows a series of furious rows between Sir Paul, 63, and Lady McCartney, who says she is hurt by claims she’s a gold-digger. Here we look at ten of the most expensive – and high profile – divorces in world history.
RUPERT AND ANNA MURDOCH
MEDIA tycoon Rupert Murdoch topped the world divorce league when he gave first wife Anna £1 bill ion. They were married for 32 years while Mr Murdoch built up his newspaper empire.
ADNAN AND SORAYA KHASHOGGI
THE biggest divorce settlement in Britain came in 1982 when Soraya Khashoggi won £510million from her Saudi arms dealer husband Adnan. He was ordered to pay the astonishing sum by British courts after the couple failed to reach agreement between themselves.
RAY AND KAREN PARLOUR
FOOTBALLER’S wife Karen Parlour won a landmark ruling in her divorce battle with former Arsenal player husband Ray. She was I awarded just £250,000 in cash and £1 million in property. But she was thinking ahead – she also won the right to 37.5 per cent of all his future earnings as a reward for the support that helped him achieve success. That1994inadivorcethat share of his earnings stands at £406,500 a year.
PALOMA AND RAFAEL LOPEZ-CAMBIL
ARTIST Pablo Picasso’s daughter Paloma-a successful businesswoman in her own right – lost millions when she divorced Argentine playwright Rafael Lopez – Cambil. The £250 million payout shocked South America and made history as the biggest payout made anywhere in the world by a woman to her divorced husband.
NEIL DIAMOND & MARCIA MURPHEY
WHEN singer Diamond met Marcia he already had a wife. He went out for cigarettes in 1969, never returned and was married to Marcia within three weeks. The couple split in 1994 in a divorce that cost the legendary singer £125million – but he claimed Marcia was “worth every penny”.
HARRISON FORD & MELISSA MATHISON
INDIANA Jones star Ford’s wife Melissa Mathison’s immediate settlement might have been more than the £50million she I received when their 19-year marriage ended. But like Karen Parlour she won a deal which gives her a share of all his future earnings – this time from blockbuster movies.
KEVIN AND CINDY SILVA COSTNER
KEVIN met Cindy before he made his fortune in movies. They married in 1978 and had three kids before the split in 1994 – I caused by the Robin Hood star’s alleged philandering. It cost Costner £70million – which was a staggering amount at the time. But given Costner’s success following the divorce, he might think he got away lightly.
BELINDA & IAN ROBERTSON
CASHMERE queen Belinda Robertson was involved in what’s widely thought to be Scotland’s most costly divorce when she split from husband Ian. Their 18-year marriage ended with a £5million payout for the Made In Scotland boss. Belinda’s new husband Alastair Dickson, the UK’s most expensive solicitor, was forced to pay his ex-wife Josephine a similar-sized settlement.
KENNY AND MARIANNE ROGERS
COUNTRY star Kenny met Marianne while doing a TV show and the couple had a son. Rogers said I he was difficult to live with but the divorce was amicable with the country legend admitting his wife deserved the £50million payout.
CHARLES AND DIANA
IT is probably the most famous divorce worldwide in the past hundred years. It followed a bitter battle between the couple carried out in books and television interviews. But the £17million settlement pales into insignificance compared to some of the others highlighted h ere.