Getting a divorce can be an extremely painful, expensive affair. In America, the median cost of getting a divorce is $7,000, but the average price of divorce ranges from $15,000 to $20,000. Divorce lawyers cost an average of $270 an hour, so expenses can stack up quickly. If the divorce is soured by multiple issues and goes to trial, it can become even more pricey. However, even a $20,000 divorce completely pales in comparison to the divorces that go on in the upper echelons of society. Take for example the divorce between Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott, his former wife of 25 years. The divorce was spurred by the discovery of Bezos’ extramarital affair with former newscaster Lauren Sanchez. Their divorce cost an absolutely jaw-dropping $38 billion, making it the most expensive divorce of all time! Fortunately, many people have benefited from this colossal upheaval. In May 2019, shortly after announcing the terms of the divorce on Twitter, she signed the Giving Pledge, promising to give away at least half of her vast fortune over the course of her life. So far, she has kept true to this promise. Since 2020, she has donated $14.4 billion to nearly 1,600 nonprofits. She gave away the money in a “no strings attached” style, meaning the charities have complete liberty to use the funds as they see fit. Another recent divorce on this list was the tumultuous 2022 split between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. They were married for six years and had four children together. In addition to the $2.7 billion price tag of the divorce, the settlement also includes a $200,000 per month child support payment from Kanye West. Many people would be absolutely thrilled to receive $200,000 just once! Their divorce was the 5th most expensive divorce in history.
