The richest man in the world is splitting from his wife, and $134 billion dollars is on the line. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos says the divorce from MacKenzie Bezos is amicable, but with no prenuptial agreement between the two, the question is, how much will she end up with?
USA TODAY turns to Carolyn Grimes, Partner at Wade Grimes Friedman Meinken & Leischner, for insights on the high-stakes divorce. Ms. Grimes tells USA TODAY Washington divorce courts may seek what’s called “equitable distribution,” which means MacKenzie might be rewarded “enough,” not half. Grimes points to other high net-worth divorce cases, like the split between then-General Electric chairman Jack Welch and his wife Jane Beasley Welch. During that divorce, Jane sought $130 million of her ex-husband’s $450 million net worth. The couple settled out of court in 2003 with Jane getting less than half of his net worth.
MacKenzie might end up with Amazon “super stocks” but Grimes says the couple would want to avoid a stock fight that might cause stock prices to go down. But when it’s all said and done, “I would think they would structure something that could give her a good chunk of change.”
Even more media: In a guest post on the popular blog, Entertainment Cheat Sheet, Grimes takes readers through more of the nuances of the divorce.
