For the rich and famous in the world, a divorce with the life partner is tragic, and can also have an impact on the business they run.
Recent times have seen some shocking and unexpected divorces which created headlines for days, even weeks.
Here’s a round-up of 9 such high-profile divorces that came out of nowhere.
1- Jeff Bezos
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, splitting up has sent shockwaves. The relationship that began at a New York hedge fund is coming to an end after 25 years. The world is still coming to terms with the fact that this happened a little over a year after Bezos became the world’s richest man. The split, however, has caused investors to worry over Bezos’s control on Amazon. If the Amazon fortune is split equally, MacKenzie will become the world’s richest lady with $69 billion. This update came hours before a tabloid newspaper tweeted that they planned on exposing the split. The tabloids later reported that Bezos had been in a relationship with former TV anchor and helicopter pilot Lauren Sanchez. Sanchez is also the wife of Hollywood star Patrick Whitesell.
2- Harvey Weinstein
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was married to fashion designer Georgina Chapman for a whole decade. After actresses and women performers accused the media magnate of sexual harassment in 2017, triggering the #MeToo movement, it was splitsville for the couple. The two split up in January 2018 after 10 years of marriage and agreed on an eight-figure deal. The settlement which was signed end of last year, has an estimated worth of $15-$20 million. As per the prenup, Weinstein was supposed to pay Chapman $300,000 for spousal support every year. After a decade, the sum is supposed to be hiked to $400,000. The two hold a $15 million New York townhouse and a $12 million beach house in Hamptons. Together they have two children, seven and four.
3- Elon Musk
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk met his first wife, Justine Wilson, at the Queen’s University in Ontario. A Canadian novelist, Wilson said that Musk gave her his credit card to buy as many books as she wants in order to woo her. The two tied the knot in 2000, moved to Los Angeles and had a son named Nevada who they lost to SIDS. Later, they had twins and triplets, 5 sons in total. The couple parted ways in 2008. Wilson kept her ex-husband’s last name though for the sake of her kids. The tech mogul started dating actress Talulah Riley and tied the knot with her in 2010. Two years later, the news of their divorce became public when Musk tweeted “It was an amazing four years. I will love you forever. You will make someone very happy one day.” The two remarried in 2013. Musk then filed for and withdrew a second divorce in 2014. Riley then filed for a divorce in 2016 which was finalised by the end of the same year. The two are reportedly still on good terms.
4- Jack Welch
Former chairman of General Electric Jack Welch lost a whopping $180 million after his divorce to Jane Beasley. The couple had exchanged vows in April 1989 and split up after 14 years in 2003 in a nasty and costly divorce. The Welch-Beasley divorce was an example of how the rich couples part ways. Despite Welch’s efforts to keep things in private, Beasley filed an affidavit outlining the lavish standard of living of the couple.
5- Dilip Kapur
It is rightly said, time can never define how much you know about a person. This was relevant in the case of Hidesign’s Dilip Kapur and his German wife Jacqueline who separated after being together for 27 years. Jacqueline, however, said that it happened due to a third person. The former Mrs Kapur revealed that she ended her marriage when she found out that her husband was dating a 24-year-old. The couple currently lead separate lives in Auroville, Puducherry. The place is home to the Hidesign headquarters and other properties of Kapur.
6- Vikram Chatwal
Actor and hotelier Vikram Chatwal’s wedding with model Priya Sachdev was a 10-day affair and was spread over three cities in the country. The lavish affair was attended by 600 guests from 26 countries who were brought to the occasion in chartered planes. The two tied the knot in February 2006 and parted ways in 2011. Chatwal was often referred to as New York’s playboy, and was rumoured to be dating Lindsay Lohan when the divorce happened. Chatwal and Sachdev together have a daughter named Safira and continue to spend time together. Sachdev is now married to industrialist Sunjay Kapur and Chatwal is gearing up to get back to his acting career.
7- Sunjay Kapur
Sunjay Kapur, chairman of auto parts company Sona Group, got married for the third time in 2017 to Priya Sachdev. This also marked Sachdev’s second trip down the aisle. Kapur was earlier married to fashion designer Nandita Mahtani, and then actress Karisma Kapoor with whom he has two children. The Sona Group boss had announced his marriage to Kapoor, just ten days after splitting from Mahtani. The two parted ways after thirteen years.
8- Atulya Mafatlal
The Mafatlal family has made headlines for their real estate and artwork controversy for years. Amid all this, a divorce too, took place in the family – that of Atulya Mafatlal (L) and Payal Girdharlal. Mafatlal married Sheetal (R) later and his ex-wife, Girdharilal, moved on to rebuild her life. Her son Varun, is said to be close to his step-mother Sheetal.
9- Bill Gates
After 27 years of marriage, the couple announced in a joint statement on Monday that they have decided to terminate their marriage.The billionaire couple have three children and jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The pair both posted the statement announcing their divorce on Twitter.
“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives. We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.” it reads