Team Revell 1 Posted July 11, 2006 According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 43% of first marriages will end in divorce or separation within 15 years in the United States. In 2000, there were 957,200 divorces, and reconciliation occured only for about 10% of them. In 1994, Massachusetts had the lowest divorce rate in the country with 2.4 divorces for every 1,000 people, while Nevada had the highest rates with 9.0. Most of the time, divorces are settled between the spouses. But sometimes lawyers intervene and the court judges what each person is entitled to. For everyday people, this process is often nothing to write home about. But when a couple is worth billions of dollars, the stakes are not about nickels and dimes anymore and it's soon obvious that prenuptial agreements can be man's second best friend. Oftentimes, it's the ex-husband who ends up compensating the woman. On that note, let's explore the craziest payouts by checking out history's most expensive divorce settlements. The criteria to compile this list are simple; we're looking for lump sum payments, without adding monthly expenses and alimony, which occurred within the last few decades. Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Trump, you don't qualify for the list! Number 10 Ted Danson & Casey Coates -- $30 million Ted Danson's claim to fame is undoubtedly his decade-long stint as Sam Malone on NBC's celebrated sitcom Cheers . While he did other TV shows and movies, he will always be known as the bartender of that place where everybody knows your name. He met his future first bride Casey, a designer, in 1976 while doing Erhard Seminars Training. Ten years his senior, she suffered a paralyzing stroke while giving birth to their first child in 1979. In order to nurse her back to health, Danson took a break from acting for six months. But after two children and 15 years of marriage, the infatuation fell to pieces. Danson had started seeing Whoopi Goldberg while filming the comedy, Made in America and this precipitated the 1992 divorce. Casey got $30 million for her trouble. Number 9 Michael & Diandra Douglas -- $45 million An Academy Award-winning actor and producer, Michael Douglas has been a favorite of moviegoers for over 20 years. Michael, an alleged sex addict, married Diandra in 1977, when his career in feature films was still burgeoning (he was involved in the production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975). Apparently fed up with his philandering, the documentary producer, owner of a clothing firm, and mother of grown son Cameron, filed for divorce in 1997. Two years of negotiations later, Michael agreed to pay $45 million (practically a third of the actor/producer's estimated fortune) to finalize the proceedings and be free to marry Catherine Zeta-Jones. Number 8 James Cameron & Linda Hamilton -- (more than) $50 million James Cameron is the visionary filmmaker who gave the world grand Hollywood spectacles like the first two Terminator movies, in which Linda Hamilton starred, True Lies , and Titanic . The romance between the two reportedly began on the set of T2 in 1991, although they only got married in July 1997. But at that time, Titanic was released and Cameron apparently spent more time with one of his stars, Suzy Amis, than with his wife. During their 17-month marriage, which produced a daughter, they were separated for eight months. Cameron, whom Hamilton describes as an "absolutely miserable, miserable, unhappy man," was forced to give her more than half his revenues from Titanic -- over $50 million -- in 1999. Number 7 Kenny & Marianne Rogers -- $60 million "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run!" Kenny Rogers has sung these lyrics many times during his career as a pop country superstar. Following his mammoth musical success in the '70s and '80s, he turned to photography, having published two books, and opened a chain of restaurants, Kenny Rogers Roasters. His net worth is valued by some at $250 million. While doing television show Hee Haw , he met smalltime actress and Hee Haw presenter Marianne Gordon. They got married in 1977 -- his fourth time at the altar -- and had one son together. Kenny took the above lyrics to heart and divorce papers were filed in 1993 when the union fell apart. He willingly gave her $60 million, claiming she deserved every penny. Number 6 Kevin Costner & Cindy Silva -- $80 million Kevin Costner managed to make a name for himself with blockbusters such as The Untouchables, Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves , and JFK . He met Cindy Silva before he made his fortune, while attending California State University at Fullerton, and they got married in 1978. The press reported Kevin's apparent infidelities in the early '90s, but restaurateur Cindy was determined to make the marriage work. However, three kids and 16 years older, the couple disintegrated in 1994. They settled matters privately and Cindy walked away with an estimated $80 million. Number 5 Steven Spielberg & Amy Irving -- $100 million Amy Irving was a struggling actress in the '70s who shot to stardom in 1976 when she played the lone teen survivor in Carrie . During the same years, Spielberg was the new director to watch in Hollywood, having made the megahit Jaws and looking forward to a string of blockbusters. The two wed in 1985 but the relationship soon deteriorated to the point where passion was simply not there anymore. In 1989, one of Hollywood's most prominent couples broke up harmoniously. Always a nice guy, he gave Irving, the mother of his son Max, the hefty sum of $100 million. Number 4 Neil Diamond & Marcia Murphey -- $150 million A crooner beloved the world over, Neil Diamond has known success since the '60s with his own brand of easy listening classics. Throughout the '70s, he set new world records in record sales and concert attendance. During his career, which has spanned four decades, Diamond has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. When he met the woman who would share his life for 25 years, he was already married to wife number one. Apparently, Diamond went out for cigarettes in November 1969 and never came back. Three weeks later, he had divorced and married TV producer Marcia Murphey. Following rumors of extramarital activities on Diamond's part in 1994, she moved to Splitsville, citing the popular "irreconcilable differences." The divorce was settled for $150 million, half his fortune. The singer claims he cheerfully gave her the money (she's "worth every penny") and that she deserved it for having bore him wonderful children. Number 3 Craig & Wendy McCaw -- (more than) $460 million Craig McCaw got steady on his feet by turning a failing television cable service he had inherited from his father into a successful business, eventually selling for $755 million. In 1981, he proved to be a visionary by acquiring cellular phone licenses. He eventually sold his company to AT&T for approximately $12 billion, becoming the telecommunications giant's largest single shareholder. McCaw met Wendy when she tutored him at Stanford University and they married in 1974. In 1995, divorce proceedings were initiated and Wendy wanted her share to support her nearly $200,000/month lifestyle. She ultimately walked away with $460 million, mostly all in Nextel stock. Number 2 Adnan & Soraya Khashoggi -- $874 million Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi businessman who made his money as an international arms dealer for the Saudi royal family. He then launched his company Triad, based in Switzerland, owning banks, hotels and real estate all over the world. In 1986, his fortune was estimated at $4 billion but a decade later it was estimated that he had lost most of it due to dwindling oil prices. He married Soraya in 1961 and their jet-setting lifestyle favored a string of adulterous lovers for both of them. Their 1982 divorce netted her an estimated $874 million in an out-of-court settlement, although numbers vary according to sources. Number 1 Rupert & Anna Murdoch -- $1.7 billion One of the richest men in the world, Rupert Murdoch developed his worldwide media empire when he inherited his father's Australian newspaper in 1952. He married Anna Murdoch in the '60s and they remained together for 32 years, springing off three children. They split amicably in 1998 but soon Rupert forced Anna off the board of News Corp and the gloves came off. The divorce was finalized in June 1999 when Rupert agreed to let his ex-wife leave with $1.7 billion worth of his assets, $110 million of it in cash. Seventeen days later, Rupert married Wendi Deng, one of his employees. Don't get taken to the cleaners Having written such an article, I expect the American Bar Association to send me a very generous check. After all, didn't I just pen the greatest advertising for prenuptial agreements? With this kind of money up for grabs, romance must be sidestepped for a moment and all men should definitely equip themselves with an ironclad prenup. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toro 1 Posted July 11, 2006 After all, didn't I just pen the greatest advertising for prenuptial agreements? Every one of those instances would not be covered in a prenup because the money was earned DURING the marraige. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
edjr 6,580 Posted July 11, 2006 #11 Read any Toro created thread about his marriage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toro 1 Posted July 11, 2006 #11 Read any Toro created thread about his marriage. That would be "11 reasons not to marry Toro". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
De Novo 0 Posted July 11, 2006 Every one of those instances would not be covered in a prenup because the money was earned DURING the marraige. You may want to re-think that statement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanXIII 8 Posted July 11, 2006 Reason #12: It can ruin your credit too! TO all of you who are happily married...congratulations! I wish you continued good fortune in your marital bliss. TO all who are not yet married, or who are considering marriage, I implore you...DO NOT DO IT! It can ruin your credit. As none of you know nor care, I am (or I guess I should say I was) planning on attending law school this fall. I had everything lined up: law school acceptance, a scholarship offer, even Stafford loan paperwork completed and ready to go. However, since the school I am (was) attending is private, and since my scholarship was only a partial one ($10k) I am (was) going to be forced to take out an additional loan called a Grad Plus loan in order to finance my legal education. So I applied for the loan a few days ago, and my application was rejected because of "credit history" (according to the letter). I have always had good credit, no bad debts, no charge-off, no history of late payments. So, I called the loan company (Sallie Mae) and asked, "WTF?" The woman with whom I spoke (a very nice lady btw) informed me that there was a charged-off credit card on my Equifax credit report. As I knew that I had no bad debts outstanding my first thought was, of course, "Identity theft!" So last night I pulled my credit report through that site that gives you a free look at your credit once a year (annualcreditreport.com). Sure enough, on all THREE reports there was this outstanding credit card debt that had been "charged off." I had NO idea this was on my credit report until I looked, and since I'd never received a collection letter or phone call I still suspected identity theft. Then, I did a bit of investigating and discovered that yes, this is in fact my credit card! Well...sort of. You see, my ex and I opened a "joint" credit account not long after we were married. Although I had no card myself, both our names were on the account. Admittedly, I wanted to do this, for her sake: I had a solid credit history and my wife, being much younger than me, had virtually NO credit history. We thought at the time that it would be a good way for her to build up credit while having a card we could use in emergencies. Of course, the card was used for all sorts of things, emergencies and otherwise. The vast majority of the charges were used for things like clothing and books (for her). Therefore, when we split up, she agreed to pay off the account and the divorce decree reflected this. But, guess what? She DIDN'T pay off the card! In fact, she stopped making the payments not long after the divorce. I moved to another state after we split so I assume this is why I have not heard about this until now. You see, credit card companies don't give a ratsass what your silly "divorce decree" says. If YOUR name is on the account then they hold YOU responsible (along with anyone else who is on the account). So, the nice lady at Sallie Mae reluctantly informed me that there is "nothing she can do." I now have to make arrangements to settle this debt myself (it is several thousand dollars at this point) before I can get any supplemental education loans (unlike Stafford loans, the Grad PLUS loan is based on credit history). Given the fact that I have to pay off HER debt, AND get my credit report straightened out before I can get the loan, AND that school starts in a little over a month...you guessed it...I don't get to go to law school, at least not this year. The moral of this story: DO NOT GET MARRIED. And if you are already married, do yourself a favor: Keep the money SEPERATE and tuck away AS MUCH as you can without her/him knowing. You will live to thank me one day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cday 0 Posted July 11, 2006 Every one of those instances would not be covered in a prenup because the money was earned DURING the marraige. you .. uh .. realize that prenups can be written so that.. uh.. nevermind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doughboys_2002 11 Posted July 11, 2006 #12 You'll end up married! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frank 2,303 Posted July 11, 2006 Like Chris Rock said, rich people don't need prenups, poor people need prenups. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
De Novo 0 Posted July 11, 2006 you .. uh .. realize that prenups can be written so that.. uh.. nevermind. I know. It's amazing how such a confident and authoritative statement could be so ###### incorrect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 Those are stupid reasons...You people need to think outside the box. Just make sure before marriage that SHE is the one worth millions. Focking dummies Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doughboys_2002 11 Posted July 12, 2006 Those are stupid reasons...You people need to think outside the box. Just make sure before marriage that SHE is the one worth millions. Focking dummies #13 SUXBNME! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 #13 SUXBNME! Once you have had me, you will never go back to goats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doughboys_2002 11 Posted July 12, 2006 Once you have had me, you will never go back to goats But I like goats, they don't talk back! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 But I like goats, they don't talk back! Yeeeesssss they dooooooo oooooo oooo. Trust me on this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doughboys_2002 11 Posted July 12, 2006 Yeeeesssss they dooooooo oooooo oooo. Trust me on this Yeah but you still hear voices from all the acid you did don't you? My goats are very well behaved! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 Yeah but you still hear voices from all the acid you did don't you? My goats are very well behaved! Do you really have goats? If you do Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CurlyNight 0 Posted July 12, 2006 I can think of a good reason right now. You may wind up with a guy who wants you to clean his room and cook all the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 I can think of a good reason right now. You may wind up with a guy who wants you to clean his room and cook all the time. Yea, but for that, you get the hardest 4 inches you have ever seen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CurlyNight 0 Posted July 12, 2006 Yea, but for that, you get the hardest 4 inches you have ever seen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 Don't worry, It will get longer if you shave your back.... Oops...Sorry, mixed you up with Saw for a sec. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doughboys_2002 11 Posted July 12, 2006 Do you really have goats? If you do No, but I know someone that does! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
surferskin 30 Posted July 12, 2006 I can think of a good reason right now. You may wind up with a guy who wants you to clean his room and cook all the time. isn't that what bittchz are fo? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUXBNME 1,499 Posted July 12, 2006 isn't that what bittchz are fo? That's what I thought, anyway... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
surferskin 30 Posted July 12, 2006 That's what I thought, anyway... me too...until i got married. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Franknbeans 46 Posted July 12, 2006 Having written such an article, I expect the American Bar Association to send me a very generous check. After all, didn't I just pen the greatest advertising for prenuptial agreements? With this kind of money up for grabs, romance must be sidestepped for a moment and all men should definitely equip themselves with an ironclad prenup. Why? They were rich before their separation and they're still rich after the divorce. Not sure what your point is... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
