All of us would love to find our significant other and live together happily ever after. But today, almost 50% of marriages end up in divorce and this baleful statistic applies to celebrities' lives as well (sprinkled with cheating rumors and failed prenups). There have been many celebs and business magnates who were involved in excessively costly divorces and hired the best divorce attorneys to avoid paying hundreds of millions in settlements and child support, but how many really managed to get away with it? Read on and find out who paid more than $1 billion in settlements and who was investigated by a private detective!

  Harold & Sue Ann Hamm: $975 Million

The couple met during the '80s and as they have stated, it was love at first sight that had led to their marriage in 1987. Unfortunately, Harold and Sue Ann Hamm didn't manage to solve their irreconcilable differences and after 26 years of sharing their lives, they filed for a divorce. Sue Ann asserted her part of the conjugal property and in 2014, she levied a check for $975 million, making their divorce one of the most expensive in history. But her divorce lawyer didn't stop there and continued the legal battle to get more cash from Hamm's fortune. We hope the oil tycoon will be wise enough to sign a prenup next time he falls in love!

Jeff Bezos & MacKenzie Bezos: $137 Billion

Jeff Bezos is one of the wealthiest names in the world because he was basically the one behind the company, Amazon. Back in 1992, he met MacKenzie Tuttle who works as a novelist. They instantly started dating and then decided to become husband and wife in 1993. They later had three sons together and an adopted daughter. In January 2019, the couple announced that they are now getting a divorce. They apparently have been separated for a long period of time already. If the couple really did not have a prenup before tying the knot, we can't really be sure how big a chunk Tuttle will be taking out of Bezos' $137 billion fortune.

Steve & Elaine Wynn: $1 Billion

They used to be the famous casino magnates and their relationship had many ups and downs, as they got married and divorced twice - in 1986 and two decades later, in 2010. We still don't know the real cause of the separation and if Elaine ever hired a private detective to enlighten her cheating suspicions, but their divorce was quite pricey as it was estimated to have cost the Las Vegas tycoon almost $1 billion. Although Wynn won't apply for bankruptcy anytime soon with his net worth of $3.4 billion, some couple counseling sessions could have been better than this costly divorce.

Bernie & Slavica Ecclestone: $1.2 Billion

Formula One legend Bernie Ecclestone seems to be somehow unlucky in love as he has been married three times and divorced twice so far. In 1984, he married his second wife, former model Slavica Radic with whom he shares two daughters. But in 2008, the model left their house and filed for a divorce. Her settlement was estimated to be $1.2 billion, making the marriage dissolution probably the most expensive and controversial one in the U.K. history. We still don't know the exact reasons behind the split since there weren't any cheating rumors, but we are sure that the F1 tycoon didn't go through post-divorce depression, as in 2012, he has hooked up with the much younger, Fabiana Flosi.

Rupert Murdoch & Anna Maria Torv: $1.7 Billion

Media big shot Murdoch finished his marriage with Torv after 30 years for an astounding settlement of $1.7 billion. The couple seemed like they both agreed with this decision and perhaps had some couple counseling sessions before filing for a divorce, as they had a friendly separation. Soon enough, both of them got hitched to other persons, so we can assume that they didn't have to deal with post-divorce depression. But this time, his prenup lawyer has ensured that the new Mrs. Murdoch would not get an incredible amount of money as her predecessor did.

Vladimir Potanin & Natalia Potanina: $8 Billion

The Russian business visionary, Vladimir Potanin, owns an expected $16.5 billion in total assets, which soon may be divided in the middle after his divorce from his now ex-wife, Natalia. According to Russian law, spouses are qualified for an equivalent portion of their family resources, so that means Natalia can command a whopping divorce settlement of $8 billion. A year after their split, Vladimir married his second wife Ekaterina and we just hope that this time, he wisely signed a prenup. In the meantime, Natalia has embarked on a legal battle requesting half of his fortune.

Dmitry & Elena Rybolovlev: $604 Million+

We are sure that the Russian billionaire had regrets about not signing a prenup before marrying Elena in 1987. His ex-wife didn't have to hire a private detective to find out if her husband was cheating, since, in her divorce petition, she had claimed that Rybolovlev was constantly unfaithful to her by having affairs with countless women. The legal battle lasted from 2008 to 2015, and we have to admit that the billionaire's divorce lawyer must have been a prominent one, as he has managed to decrease the first settlement of $4.5 billion to 'just' $604 million.

Mel Gibson & Robyn Moore: $425 Million

Mel and Robyn's marriage started like a fairytale but ended with a costly divorce. In 2006, the famous actor was put under arrest for DUI and he had to start a court-requested alcohol rehab program. Gibson has admitted his battle with his drinking problem and maybe that was the reason why his 26-year marriage had ended in a divorce. The couple didn't sign a prenup so the spouse went for a settlement corresponding to half of her husband's fortune, which meant that Moore was handed a check of $425 million.

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: $100 Million

It was a huge shock for the Hollywood community when the famous couple announced their decision to get a divorce in 2016. While there haven't been any rumors associated with the split, we assume that isn't cheating that has made Angelina file for a divorce. Brad recently admitted in an interview about his battle with alcohol and how he's managed to overcome it on his own without visiting rehab facilities. The couple hasn't agreed yet on a settlement, but reportedly, the last offer from Pitt of $100 million was turned down by his ex-wife as it turns out that she would like to give their relationship another try. We wish them good luck!

Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren: $100 Million

The famous golf player married his wife Elin in 2004 but unfortunately, they didn't have a happy-ever-after ending. The former Swedish model initially didn't have any cheating suspicions and it never crossed her mind to hire a private detective to investigate her husband's routine, as she trusted him with her eyes closed. So her world came crashing down when Woods admitted publicly about his blatant infidelity, giving his wife a good enough reason to file for a divorce. Although there have been reports about a $750- million divorce deal, the settlement closed at $100 million. 

Michael & Juanita Jordan: $168 Million

Basketball superstar Michael Jordan married his wife Juanita in 1989 and since then, their relationship had many ups and downs, resulting in a divorce-filing in 2002 which was withdrawn shortly after. The couple did their best to preserve the marriage, especially as there weren't any cheating suspicions between them and for years, they had couples counseling. But eventually, things didn't work out for them and they decided to file for a divorce without any bitterness. Juanita received $168 million in settlement and got the custody of their three children.

Arnold Schwarzenegger & Maria Shriver: $200 Million

Famous The Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife Maria Shriver had a marriage that's definitely not a great example of a good ending. Following 25 years of being together, the breakup can only be depicted as a brutal one, specifically for Shriver, who found out that her husband was cheating on her with their housekeeper and on top of that, his mistress got pregnant with his child. Maria immediately filed for a divorce and fortunately for her, they didn't have a prenup. Hence, she walked away with $200 million in the divorce settlement and a custody of their children. We just hope neither of them had suffered from depression because of the divorce.

Phil Collins & Orianne Cevey: $47 Million

The famous singer seems to be very fond of pricey divorces, as he has had three so far. Collins and Orianne Cevey were married in 1999 and they appeared to be a loving couple until her divorce filing in 2008. Perhaps the cause wasn't cheating but Collins' drinking habit, as he recently opened up about his alcohol addiction and how he overcame this without looking for rehab centers. Amazingly, the couple became reunited after almost ten years, and although the Survivors hitmaker paid a check of $47 million for his ex-wife's settlement, she didn't give up a single dollar after their reconciliation!

Ted Danson & Casey Coats: $30 Million

Cheers star Ted Danson married Casey Coats in 1977 - before his rise to stardom. They seemed to be a loving family with their two children, so it was rather shocking when Coats filed for a divorce in 1993 with allegations of cheating. We don't know if she hired a private detective to find out about her husband's affair with actress Whoopi Goldberg, but his infidelity had cost him a $30-million settlement check to his ex-wife. Well, this likely caused a significant "bleeding" in his bank account. 

Lionel & Diane Richie: $30 Million

The beloved singer, Lionel Richie, has lived an adventurous life and his relationship with Diane definitely contributed to that. The two started dating when Lionel was still married to his first wife Brenda Harvey, who soon found out that he was cheating and immediately filed for a divorce.  Diane and Lionel said their vows in 1995 but not even a decade later, they called it quits for unknown reasons. Their divorce was quite costly f0r his savings account as he signed a $30-million check for Diane's settlement. Next time, he should get a prenup lawyer!

Mick Jagger & Jerry Hall: $15-$25 Million

The rock and roll star dated Jerry Hall since the late '70s, but they decided to put a ring on it in the early '90s. After four children and almost a decade of married life, Hall filed for a divorce as she could no longer stand her husband's infidelity. She didn't need a private detective to find out the Jagger was cheating and she claimed that despite the fact that she helped him quit drugs without checking in a rehab center, she could never make him quit seeing other women.  It's been reported that the couple had agreed on a $15-$25 million settlement but they've never confirmed it.

Johnny Carson & Joanna Holland: $20 Million

The legendary TV host and comedian wasn't as successful in his personal life as he was in his career. After a failed marriage that ended with cheating allegations from both sides, Carson tied the knot with Joanna Holland in 1963 and stayed together for 13 years. Rumors had it that the TV host diminished his bank account by $20 million for the settlement and it was probably one of the most expensive divorces of its time. Carson passed away in 1999 after a heart attack, in his Malibu residence.

 Katie Price & Peter Andre: $9.6 Million

The couple met on the set of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! and decided to tie the knot a year later in 2005. But things didn't actually work out for them and after they filed for a divorce in 2009. Katie accused Peter of cheating in a 2011 lawsuit, but she ended up paying defamation damages to the famous singer. We hope she didn't have to pay a private detective to clear up her infidelity suspicions as they proved to be a disaster.  Her ex-husband received only 50% of their conjugal fortune and their divorce settlement was reported to be at $9.6 million.

Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries: $10 Million+

We all remember the time when Kim got married to NBA player Kris Humphries. They didn't manage to live happily ever after, as just almost 11 weeks after their wedding, the reality star filed for a divorce. It is reported that the cause of the split wasn't cheating but irreconcilable differences and they stated that couples counseling couldn't even save their marriage. While the two were too public about everything regarding their wedding, we don't know much about their divorce. All we know is that the reality star had made a glorious offer of $10 million which Kris rejected.

Rod Stewart & Rachel: $10 Million

The famous rock star proposed to the legendary model only after three months after meeting her. And while their wedding happened so fast, their split took almost six years to finalize, as they broke up in 1999 but the dissolution came in 2005. Details about the divorce causes haven't been disclosed, but we believe it was more of irreconcilable differences than cheating that made them file for a divorce.  It seemed that Rod had some good legal advisors around him and he wisely asked his ex-wife to sign a prenup, so Rachel wasn't qualified to claim a single penny from the singer's $175-million net worth. Their divorce settlement stays a secret, but it was reported that Rachel received around $10 million.

Thierry Henry & Nicole Merry: $13 Million

The former football player married the English model in 2003 and had a daughter together. But just after five years, Thierry and Nicole decided to go their separate ways and filed for a divorce. We still don't know if Merry ever took on a private detective to find out if her husband was cheating while being abroad, but it was quite telling that distance had affected their relationship. It was rumored that Merry received a $13-million check for their divorce settlement and we believe that Henry must have suffered from post-divorce depression after seeing his bank account depleted by eight digits.

Britney Spears & Kevin Federline: $1 Million

The couple married back in 2004 and after two sons and a dangerous bend in Britney's career, they decided to call it quits in 2006. Spears filed for a divorce not because she was affected by cheating rumors, but due to their irreconcilable differences that wouldn't be solved even after some couples counseling sessions. The Toxic hitmaker was wise enough to ask Federline to sign a prenuptial agreement, and so Kevin cashed pocketed just a $1 million in their divorce settlement, plus $20K per month for child support, as he got sole custody after Brtiney checked herself into rehab centers. Today, the pop star has started to reclaim her throne and as for Kevin, he remains just Britney's ex.

Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman: $125 Million

During the '90s, they used to be the most discussed couple by the media and thus, their breakup came as a shock to the press. After ten years of marriage, the famous stars decided to take different roads in their lives. Rumors circulated that the divorce papers cited 'cheating' as the reason for filing for the divorce and that Cruise even hired a private detective to verify his suspicions. Fortunately, they had signed a prenuptial agreement but the exact terms remain private. Their combined net worth was estimated to reach $250 million, and it was reported that Kidman walked away with a $125-million check, but this has never been confirmed.

Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen: $40 Million

Two and a Half Men's Charlie Sheen has had a stormy life, with three marriages and substance abuse that led him to check himself into rehab centers, while recently, he opened up about being HIV-positive. He and Denise tied the knot in 2002 but just three years later, Richards filed for a divorce after accusing her ex-husband of substance abuse and physical violence. The exact number of the settlement is still unknown, but Sheen's attorney claimed that his client had spent over $40 million on his ex-wife through the years. After this pricey divorce, the actor didn't seem to suffer from post-divorce depression as he married Brooke Mueller just after two years.  

Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston: $60 Million

We were more than saddened to hear that the fairytale couple filed for a divorce in 2005 after seven years of married life. The actress had reasonable suspicions that her ex-husband was cheating on her with actress Angelina Jolie and she didn't have to hire a private detective to find out about the truth as soon after their separation, Pitt and Jolie have started dating. The terms of their divorce settlement suggested that Aniston received $29 million of their combined fortune and Pitt got the lion's share with $31 million.  Aniston later admitted that therapy helped her stay away from depression and overcome this traumatizing experience.

Roseanne Barr & Tom Arnold: $50 Million

Everyone would think that their matrimony was full of giggles and happiness, but it was quite a shock when Barr filed for a divorce in 1994. After four years of living together, they announced their separation with reasons remaining still undisclosed. Rumor had it that their breakup wasn't about cheating but maybe it was connected somehow with the fact that they never managed to have children. Barr must have regretted not getting legal advice, much more a prenup agreement before her wedding, as Tom Arnold received a check of $50 million from the divorce settlement.

Hulk & Linda Hogan: $30 Million

After 26 years of sharing their lives, the couple decided to file for a divorce in 2007 and made us question why they didn't have a happily-ever-after. Linda didn't have to look for a private detective, as she knew that her husband was cheating on her with various women. Their nasty divorce turned out to be quite costly, as Linda Hogan received $30 million from the divorce settlement, including estates and expensive vehicles. After the enormous amount of money that dented his bank account, Hulk should work out a prenup next time he ties the knot.

Phyllis & Sumner Redstone: $100 Million

Business tycoon Sumner Redstone married his ex-wife Phyllis back in 1947, but after 52 years of marital bliss, he opted for a bachelor's life and filed for a divorce. Phyllis probably knew that her husband was cheating on her so she didn't bother looking for a private detective. A bit after their separation, Redstone married a woman 39 years his junior, but later divorced her as well for an alleged affair with another woman. The 94-years-old playboy had to pony up $100 million to Phyllis for their divorce settlement.

Craig & Wendy McCaw: $460 Million

During the '90s, the business magnate appeared to be a loving husband in his marriage to Wendy McCaw and many believed that they would live happily ever after. But in 1997, the couple filed for a divorce and the public announcement of their separation came as a shock to the press, as they have never been involved in cheating rumors. We would like to make a special reference to Wendy's divorce attorney as he managed to get a whopping  $460 for the divorce settlement. We are sure that Craig regretted not having a prenup or tried to work out his marriage with some counseling sessions, as they would surely be less pricey.

Jeff Gordon & Brooke Sealey: $15.3 Million

The former Nascar racing driver Nascar was introduced to his ex-wife Brooke Sealey in the victory lane and their first dates were privy, as models shouldn't have relations with the driver, according to an unwritten law. Sealey gave up her career as a Miss Winston and married Jeff Gordon in 1994. In 2002, the former model found out that her husband was cheating on her (probably without hiring a  private detective), and immediately filed for a divorce. Gordon paid back his infidelity quite handsomely as the settlement was set at $15.3 million, but he wasn't hit by depression as a bit later, he met his next wife.

Ron Perelman & Ellen Barkin: $20 Million

The business tycoon proposed to Barkin after dating a year and they got married in 2000. It is said that their relationship had been quite stormy, with several ups and downs that led Perelman to file for a divorce in 2006. Although they have never been involved in cheating scandals during their marital life, sources say that they didn't stay in touch after their divorce. The settlement was reported to reach $20 million despite the prenup, and rumor had it that Barkin disposed of the jewelry her former husband gave her during their married years.

Alex Rodriguez & Cynthia Scurtis: $12 Million

The famous baseball player married Cynthia Scurtis in 2002 and enlarged their family with their two children. Cynthia might have hired a private detective to find out whether her husband was cheating since, in her eventual divorce petition, she claimed to feel emotionally neglected by Rodriguez and accused him of having various affairs. They reached a settlement in 2008 which has remained private, but it is alleged that the former MLB player had to shell out $12 million for his ex-wife. 

Chris Rock & Malaak Compton-Rock: $48.6 Million

The famous comedian married his longtime-girlfriend Malaak Compton in 1996, and they were thought to be one of Hollywood's loving couples. But in 2014, the media blasted Rock for cheating on his wife with actress Rosario Dawson. The same year, the couple filed for a divorce. Malaak had stated that the prenuptial agreement they had signed wasn't valid after 20 years of matrimony and she was, therefore, claiming a $48.6-million settlement. The precise divorce deal is still unknown, but we have no doubt that Malaak received that amount of money, particularly if she had a skilled divorce lawyer!

Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin: $75 Million

They met backstage during a Coldplay concert and after a year of dating, they got married in 2003. But things didn't work out for the couple and after two kids and ten years of marriage, they amicably filed for a divorce. They reached a settlement in 2016, and it was reported that they decided to divide their conjugal assets of $75 million into equal halves and have joint custody of their children. After their breakup, they didn't let depression consume them and both moved on with their lives and got involved with new people.

Johnny Depp & Amber Heard: $7 Million

The couple tied the knot in 2015 and they looked like they would live happily ever after, but the romance didn't end well. Just a year after their wedding, Heard filed for divorce and accused the famous actor of verbal and physical abuse against her. The juicy divorce attracted media attention for months until the settlement was reached. Despite the fact that they had signed a prenuptial agreement, Heard walked away with $7 million in her bank account, though she later stated that she would donate the money to charity. In the meantime, Depp's friends were begging him to join a rehab program to put an end to his alcohol abuse, as our sources have said.

Jim Carrey & Melissa Womer: $3 Million & $25K Per Month

The famous comedian-actor met Melissa Womer during the '80s and they instantly fell in love with each other. But they were another couple that people didn't expect to end up in a divorce. They married in 1987 and eight months later, they welcomed their daughter. They seemed to be a loving couple, and so their divorce had shocked the media, especially as they were never involved in cheating rumors or other drama. Carrey wrote a $3-million divorce settlement check and an alimony of $25K for child support payments.

Jennifer Lopez & Chris Judd: $14 Million

 J.Lo has been very successful in her professional life, but we can't say the same thing about her love life. The famous singer and back-up dancer Judd married in 2001 and after just nine months, Lopez filed for a divorce, claiming irreconcilable differences. Being in her mid-30s then and already with two divorces, Jeniffer felt devastated that it was rumored that she went through depression at that time. The settlement was estimated around $14 million for Judd, and we believe that Jenny from the block will be wise enough to ask for a prenup from her future husband!

Michael Strahan & Jean Muggli: $15 Million & $18K Per Month

The former NFL player is just another guy who would have paid less money for his divorce if he had signed a prenup agreement. After seven years of marital peace, the couple decided to get a divorce in 2006 without cheating rumors or broken hearts in between them. But the settlement turned out to be rather pricey as the football star signed a check of $15 million for his ex-wife and $18K a month for child support.

Alec & Jocelyn Wildenstein: $3.8 Billion

Jocelyn is widely known for her nickname 'Catwoman' and as you can see in the photo, it suits her perfectly. She and ex-hubby Alec Wildenstein got married in 1978, and after twenty years of shared lives and two children, they ended up in a nasty divorce. We don't know if Jocelyn needed a private detective to unmask her husband's cheating but rumor had it that she had caught him "in the act." Her divorce attorney was that good because she bagged a total of $3.8 billion assets from her ex-husband. With so much money on her, Jocelyn didn't go for post-divorce depression counseling but opted for several makeovers that led to an alleged plastic surgery addiction. We'll let you decide if her surgeries are related to any mental health issues...

 

Giada De Laurentiis & Todd Thompson: $4.2 Million & $9K Per Month

Fashion designer Todd Thompson married TV persona Giada De Laurentiis in a lavish ceremony that wasn't representative of their following nasty divorce.  After they welcomed their daughter Jade in 2008, the couple decided to split and filed for a divorce in 2014. The cause of their breakup remains undisclosed despite the cheating rumors that blasted Giada for an alleged affair. Without having signed a prenup, sources have said that Giada ponied up $4.2 million in the divorce settlement, plus $9K a month for child support (they have joint custody). Thompson also gets a share of the profits from Giada's cookbooks.