| There have been a number of high divorce | | | | basketball legend’s payout included their seven |
| settlements over the last couple of decades. Here | | | | acre estate and custody of the couples’ |
| are the details of 10 headline grabbing examples. | | | | three children. |
| PAUL MCCARTNEY & HEATHER MILLS | | | | RUPERT & ANNA MURDOCH |
| One of the most high profile divorces in recent | | | | Rupert Murdoch is one of the world richest |
| times was that of Paul McCartney and Heather | | | | people, who has made his fortune in the media |
| Mills. Mills had demanded £125 million, but in the | | | | industry, most notable as the owner of several |
| end was awarded a little less than a fifth of that | | | | newspaper groups. When he and his wife, Anna, |
| at £24.3 million after their four year marriage. | | | | first separated all seemed to be amicable. |
| After the case was finished, the singers’ | | | | However, the Australian then made the mistake |
| former wife launched a lengthy rant outside the | | | | of forcing his wife off the board of the News |
| courtroom about the British judicial system. | | | | Corp. This angered Anna Murdoch and things got |
| PHIL COLLINS & ORIANNE CEVEY | | | | messy, eventually leading to a payout of over |
| In August 2007 another singer, Phil Collins has also | | | | £1 billion. 17 days after the divorce was finalised |
| been ordered to pay £24.3 million, to his ex-wife | | | | he married again, this time to one of his |
| Orianne Cevey after 6 years of marriage. This | | | | employees. |
| isn’t the first time the former Genesis singer | | | | JOHN & BEVERLEY CHAPMAN |
| and drummer has had to pay out a large divorce | | | | London stockbroker, John Chapman, divorced his |
| settlement. He has been married and divorced | | | | wife in 2006 in a £48 million settlement. The |
| three times, and has had to pay a total of £40 | | | | insurance magnate, who owns global insurance |
| million, almost a third of his total career earnings. | | | | company Axis, claimed that he should keep most |
| SPEPHEN SPIELBERG & AMY IRVING | | | | of the money because he earned it, but the |
| Stephen Spielberg and his wife Amy Irving had a | | | | judge disagreed saying that Chapman’s |
| pre-nuptial agreement before their marriage in | | | | attitude was old fashioned and anachronistic. |
| 1985. The marriage lasted only four years, but | | | | MICHAEL & MAYA POLSKY |
| despite the agreement the film director was | | | | One of the largest divorce settlements in history |
| ordered to pay out a hefty sum. Spielberg, who | | | | was that of Michael and Maya Polsky. The couple |
| has directed such film as Jaws and E.T., had to | | | | got married in 1975 in the Ukraine before |
| pay a little over £50 million. | | | | emigrating to the United States a year later. In |
| MICHAEL & DIANDRA DOUGLAS | | | | 1980 Michael Polsky started working in energy, |
| Michael and Diandra Douglas married in 1977, but | | | | the industry that made him a vast fortune. After |
| twenty years later Diandra filed for divorce saying | | | | 27 years of marriage, they divorced in 2003, and |
| that she was fed up with his cheating ways. The | | | | Maya Polsky received £120 million. The sum was |
| divorce that followed took three years to | | | | originally around $3 million less but as if that |
| complete, but in 2000 she received around £30 | | | | wasn’t enough, the Judge increased it after |
| million from her ex-husband. He married Welsh | | | | learning of omitted assets. According to her |
| actress Katherine Zeta Jones soon after. | | | | lawyer, Maya was “very much satisfied with |
| MADONNA & GUY RICHIE | | | | the courts decision”. Not surprising really. |
| Recently the divorce of Madonna and film director | | | | ADNAN & SORAYA KHASHOGGI |
| husband Guy Richie has made the headlines. The | | | | The amount Maya Polsky received seems a small |
| divorce ended with a payout by the singer of | | | | amount when compared to the divorce |
| approximately £45 million. | | | | settlement between Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi. |
| MICHAEL & JUANITA JORDAN | | | | Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi international arms |
| Neil Diamond did hold the record for the highest | | | | dealer, who also owned hotels, banks and real |
| celebrity divorce settlement when he paid his | | | | estate, and at one time was worth around £2.5 |
| ex-wife, Marcia Murphy, £75.5 million. This was | | | | million. After his divorce he was ordered to pay |
| beaten though by Michael Jordan, who paid his | | | | around £500 million. |
| former wife, Juanita, £80 million. The former | | | | |