When a union comes to an end or a marriage ends in divorce, it can be very devastating for the parties involved. While it leaves everyone involved heartbroken, unless, for those in it for the money, there are those who come out extremely rich as is evident with those who have the most Expensive Divorce in Sports.
Divorce is sports can be as bad as they come. It is just more devastating in sports because there is always a whole lot of money involved and of course the unwanted media attention which can compound the conflict. Moreover, in most divorces, people feel entitled, get greedy, become selfish and it all becomes a big mess especially if there was no prenuptial agreement in place. The sports industry has seen some big, messy, and expensive divorces over the decades.
We will explore some of the most expensive divorces in sports that have left spouses very rich.
Most expensive divorce in sports
1. Roman Abramovich
Ex-wife: Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina
Settlement Amount: $200 to $300 million
The Chelsea F.C. owner remains one of the richest men in the world today. His first marriage to Olga Yurevna Lysova lasted for about three years from 1987 to 1990 before he married Irina in 1991. Their union lasted for 16 years with 5 children between them.
Unfortunately, the marriage hit the rocks following the report of Abramovich’s close relationship with Dasha Zhukova (the twenty-five years old daughter of a popular Russian Oligarch). Irina hired the services of 2 top UK divorce lawyers who did their best to get her a good settlement. By 2007, their divorce was finalized and most people believe the $300 million settlement wouldn’t have made a dent on Abramovich’s net worth of close to $13 billion.
Ironically, Abramovich’s marriage with Dasha ended in another divorce in 2018.
2. Michael Jordan
Ex-wife: Juanita Vanoy
Settlement Amount: $168 million
MJ, as he is fondly called, is considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and he currently has a net worth of over $2.2 billion. He is one of the most marketed sports figures in history and became the first billionaire player in NBA history. He is the 4th richest African-American in the world today with his numerous wise and strategic investments.
Jordan married Juanita in 1989 when he just began to get famous. With 3 children between them, the couple filed for divorce a couple of times and reconciled before finally going through with it in 2006. As at the time of their divorce, it was the largest celebrity divorce settlement on public record.
Alongside the $168 million in settlement, Juanita also received their seven-acre Chicago mansion and custody of the children. They claimed the breakup was amicable and mutual.
See Also: These Athletes Have Donated Over A Million For Coronavirus
3. Frank McCourt
Ex-wife: Jamie Luskin
Settlement Amount: $131 million
In 2004, Frank became the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2009, he separated from his wife of thirty years with whom he has four sons. Jamie who doubles as the CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers was fired one week after their separation and a very long and ugly public dispute then ensued.
They finally reached an agreement in October 2011 after she gave up her claim of ownership for $131 million. Not long after, McCourt went bankrupt and was compelled by the league to put up the club for sale which was finalized in May 2012.
Frank McCourt is currently estimated to have a net worth of $1.2 billion.
4. Tiger Woods
Ex-wife: Elin Nordegren
Settlement Amount: $110 million
Tiger Woods appeared to have had it all, a flourishing career, marriage, and family. But it all came tumbling around him when the news of his several infidelities hit the media. His status as a beloved public figure and role model took a hit and, of course, his six years marriage. Alongside losing his wife, he lost several prominent sponsors and even his confidence in his game.
Woods was not the only one to take a direct hit as a result of his action. In December 2009, a study estimated the shareholder loss caused by his affair to be between five billion to twelve billion dollars. In several statements released by Woods, he took total responsibility for his action and named money and fame his enabling factors for stepping out on his wife.
Even though they both signed a prenuptial agreement, it was renegotiated due to Woods’s infidelity. Their divorce finally came through in August 2010 with Elin getting $110 million in a settlement. A close friend of Elin claimed that she could have ‘taken him to the gutters’ but chose not to. But $110 million is a whole lot of money still.
5. Greg Norman
Ex-wife: Laura Andrassy
Settlement Amount: $105 million
“The Shark” as he is fondly called ended his twenty-five year-long marriage to get into a relationship with his friend’s wife (Chris Evert). It was a “messy mess” with divorces all round to be with the supposed love of their lives. Ironically, the new marriage to Evert ended just 15 months after.
Norman who has won 20 PGA titles and is a well-established businessman with more than 20 flourishing businesses is quite wealthy. Even with a prenup in place, Norman still forked out a whopping $105 million in a settlement. Laura is definitely the winner in all of this.
6. Silvio Berlusconi
Ex-wife: Veronica Lario
Settlement Amount: $105 million
The former prime minister of Italy and former owner of A.C. Milan was accused by his wife of twenty years of consorting with minors. Being a politician and wealthy public figure, Berlusconi isn’t new to scandals. He just did all he could to contain the situation and expedite the divorce proceedings. He was also forced to give up the Villa Belvedere in Macherio which was then valued at $102 million.
Moreover, the Italian media was rife with the news that Veronica gets $1.6 million monthly in alimony. It was later confirmed that it was ruled by the court that Berlusconi pay her £2.1 million per month but his appeal got it reduced to £994,000($1.6 million). In 2017, it was reported that Lario was made to pay her ex-husband €60m ($70m; £53m) in alimony following a court ruling that she did not need the money.
At the time of the divorce, he had a net worth estimated at $7 billion.
7. Alex Rodriguez
Ex-wife: Cynthia Scurtis
Settlement: Estimated at $28 million
The popular baseball player met Cynthia at a gym in Miami. The couple got married in 2002 and have 2 children. Not long after the birth of their second child in 2008, Rodriguez was photographed with a stripper in Toronto. Around the same time, rumours about his purported relationship with Madonna began to make the rounds. Although they insisted that they were just friends, it was bad enough to make Scurtis file for divorce in July 2008.
Even though they had a prenuptial agreement in place, it was declared void due to Rodriguez’s infidelity. Scurtis requested to retain their $12 million Miami mansion, cars, a private school for their daughters, legal fees amongst others. Moreover, the actual value of their final settlement was not made public but has been estimated at $28 million based on all her requests.
8. Jeff Gordon
Ex-wife: Brooke Sealey
Settlement Amount: $15.3 million
Success can come at a very expensive rate. One would think to find success at the later years of his career with his first 2 Winston Cup Championship could have helped him cement his relationship rather it caused a strain in his marriage.
Gordon met Brooke who was a Miss Winston Cup model in 1993. They dated secretly for a while before getting married in 1994. Their marriage hit the rocks in 2002 with Brooke filing for divorce alleging marital misconduct. Gordon counter-sued and things got heated.
The split was definitely not amicable as Brooke demanded for their $9 million oceanfront home, alimony, 2 cars, and the use of their airplane and boats. Gordon refused to give in stating that Brooke didn’t deserve such a high amount as he risked his limb and life to gain his wealth. Their divorce was finalized in June 2003 with Brooke getting $15. 3 million.
See Also: 10 Most Expensive Stadiums In Sports: Cost Of Construction, Capacity, Facts
9. Lance Armstrong
Ex-wife: Kristin Richard
Settlement Amount: $14 million
After a fierce battle with testicular cancer which he survived, Armstrong met Kristin in 1997 and married her a year after. Six years down the lane with 3 kids between them, the couple chose to go their separate ways. Moreover, their pregnancies and children were made possible through the sperm he banked years earlier before undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.
The breakup didn’t do much for Armstrong’s image as a role model as he appeared to have dumped his wife to start a relationship with the singer Sheryl Crow. After his divorce from Kristin in 2003, he got engaged to Sheryl but the relationship went haywire within a year! Celebrities! They never learn.
10. Mike Tyson
Ex-wife: Robin Givens
Settlement Amount: $10 million
It appears that this marriage was doomed from the very start as most people wondered why the mismatched couple chose one another. It seems they were right as the marriage lasted for a short 8 months before things turned ugly.
Robin who was a rising actress accused Tyson of abuse and violence. In a joint interview announcing their impending divorce, Robin described her life with him as torture and pure hell. She even called him manic depressive on national TV while he looked on with a neutral expression. She finally freed herself from the allegedly abusive Tyson and was $10 million richer. Years later, Tyson admitted punching Givens in his book. He reveals that it was the best punch he has thrown in his entire life. They had no children together.
Discussion about this post