What better way to lick one’s divorce wounds than with a hefty settlement?
Rupert Murdoch filed for divorce on Thursday from his wife of 14 years, Wendi Deng. The media mogul -- who is worth about $9.4 billion -- is no stranger to divorce. He married Deng, his third wife, less than three weeks after his divorce from second wife Anna Maria Torv who reportedly received one of the highest settlements on record at $1.7 billion.
Here is a look at other big pay days from some of the most expensive divorces in recent history:
The Wildensteins
Art dealer and racehorse breeder Alec Wildenstein paid ex-wife Jocelyn Wildenstein a cool $2.5 billion from their messy divorce in the late 90s. The New York socialite, recognizable by her extensive plastic surgery, also received $100 million annually for the next 13 years.
The Ecclestones
Slavica Ecclestone settled for $1.2 billion when her divorce from husband Bernard Ecclestone, Formula One CEO, was finalized in 2009. The former model has reportedly used her wealth for shopping sprees, including the purchase of a $60-million private plane.
The Khashoggis
A judge ordered Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi to pay ex-wife Soraya a $874 million settlement after a five-year divorce battle. Soraya married the international arms dealer in 1961 when she was only 15 and gave him five children.
The Wynns
Casino executive and owner of the Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn divorced his wife Elaine for the second time (their first divorce was in 1986 but they remarried five years later) in 2010. There have been conflicting reports on what Elaine received from the fallout, but she gained control of more than 11 million shares of the Wynn’s casino operations, which was worth more than $741 million at the time of their divorce, according to The New York Times.
The Gibsons
In what is believed to the largest divorce settlement in Hollywood history, actor Mel Gibson and ex-wife Robyn divided his net worth of $850 million when their 28-year-marriage ended in 2009. The two, who had seven children together, split after he announced that he was having a baby with Oksana Grigorieva, who dated him during his highly-publicized meltdowns and telephone rants.
The Johnsons
Robert and Sheila Johnson, the founders of Black Entertainment Television, dissolved their 33-year-marriage in 2000 and the former Mrs. Johnson was paid a $400 million settlement. The couple bought BET and Ebony Magazine with $15,000 of their own money and $500,000 in loans, but became billionaires when they sold BET to Comcast for $3 billion. Sheila later married the judge who presided over her divorce.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
Shriver filed for divorce from the movie-star-turned-politician in July 2011, two months after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger had an affair and fathered a child with a woman employed by the family. Schwarzenegger reportedly handed over somewhere between $250 and $375 million in the divorce settlement.
The Jordans
Basketball star Michael Jordan ended his 17-year marriage to wife Juanita in 2006 and forked over $168 million in the settlement. Determined to protect his $650 million fortune, Jordan reportedly had his new fiancée Yvette Prieto sign a prenuptial agreement.
Samathur Li Kin-ka and Florence Tsang-Chiu-wing
Hong Kong property tycoon Samathur Li Kin-ka was ordered to pay ex-wife Florence Tsang-Chiu-wing $154 million after their eight-year marriage ended in 2008. Their settlement is believed to be the highest ever paid in Hong Kong.
Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey
A generous Neil Diamond gave up $150 million -- half of his estate -- to ex-wife Marcia Murphey when the couple divorced after 25 years of marriage in 1994 and said she was "worth every penny."
The McCourts
L.A. Dodger owner Frank McCourt paid ex-wife Jamie $130 million in the wake of their 2009 divorce. Jamie, the former CEO of the Dodgers, was also required to relinquish any claims to the baseball team as part of the settlement.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
The couple’s high profile relationship ended in a car crash and a divorce and Swedish beauty Nordegren walked away with $110 million when their six-year marriage ended in 2010. Nordegren reportedly dropped $12.2 million of her new fortune on a beachfront mansion in 2011 in North Palm Beach, Fla.
Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving
Despite a pre-nup scrawled on a napkin, a California judge awarded Amy Irving $100 million when her four-year marriage to Steven Spielberg ended in 1989.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
The Material Girl forked over money to the tune of $92 million to ex-husband Guy Ritchie when their marriage ended in 2008.
Edith Yang contributed to this report.
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