10 costliest divorces in history: Jensen Huang's reported second affair puts his $150 billion wealth under spotlight

The private life of Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, has come under scrutiny after he announced his resignation from the top position. He had earlier admitted to an affair with a business executive who US intelligence suspected to be a Chinese spy. There have also been reports of his alleged relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, who reported to Huang. With Huang's estimated net worth standing at more than $150 billion, all of this has highlighted the enormous financial settlements that some of the world's wealthiest people have faced after their marriages ended.

Huang is the world's 11th-richest person, according to Forbes. He co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and holds more than 3.5% of the semiconductor company. However, there are no reports of divorce between Huang and his wife even though he has officially resigned from his position as CEO.

Amid all this, here are 10 of the most expensive divorces in history, according to reported settlement estimates.

1. Bill and Melinda Gates – $76 billion

The Microsoft co-founder’s 2021 divorce from Melinda Gates remains one of the priciest ever. The couple announced their separation in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Vanity Fair estimates the cost of their divorce at $76 billion. The pair have three children together and have vowed to give a lot of their wealth to charity.

2. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott – $35bn

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and novelist MacKenzie Scott divorced in 2019 after 26 years of marriage. Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon, worth about $35 billion at the time. She has since become a major philanthropist .

3. Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein – $3.8 billion

Art dealer Alec Wildenstein’s divorce from socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein in 1999 reportedly featured a settlement worth $3.8 billion. Their separation led to a lot of media attention and became one of the most expensive divorces on record.

4. Rupert Murdoch and Anna dePeyster - $1.7 billion

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch paid his second wife Anna dePeyster $1.7 billion when they divorced in 1999, according to reports. They were married for 31 years and had three children. The settlement reportedly included $110 million in cash.

5. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall – $945m

In 2015 oil billionaire Harold Hamm wrote his former wife Sue Ann Arnall a $945 million cheque. Arnall initially turned down the settlement before accepting it, ending a long and bitter divorce battle.

6. Craig McCaw & Wendy McCaw – $460 million

Telecom entrepreneur Craig McCaw and newspaper publisher Wendy McCaw reportedly settled their divorce in 1997 for more than $460 million in Nextel stock.

7. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore – $425M

Actor Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore separated in 2006 after 26 years of marriage. Their divorce settlement was estimated at $425 million and reportedly included a share of Gibson’s future earnings.

8. Bob Johnson & Sheila Johnson – $400 Million

Bob Johnson, co-founder of BET, and Sheila Johnson, the first African-American billionaires in 2000, divorced in 2002. Sheila was said to have received $400 million.

9. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver – $250 million

The actor and former California governor divorced journalist Maria Shriver in 2011 after 25 years of marriage. Shriver reportedly got $250 million in their divorce settlement.

10. Neil Diamond, Marcia Murphey – $150 million

Singer Neil Diamond was divorced from Marcia Murphey in 1994 after 25 years of marriage. He apparently gave up $150 million, which is half of his estate. Diamond reportedly said his former wife was worth every penny.