Amazing alimonies: A look at how famous couples' split cost a fortune

When actor Hrithik Roshan and childhood sweetheart Sussanne Roshan decided to end their 13-year marriage, fans and friends were stunned. The actual shock, however, was when rumours about their alimony started doing the rounds. If the reports are to be believed, Sussanne has asked for Rs400 crore, and Hrithik has allegedly agreed to Rs380 crore ($62 million).

Hrithik released a statement rubbishing these rumours. "When a man is too strong to be affected or attacked, they target his family instead," he said. He went on to attack those who "have intruded into my private life like vultures trying to use my separation to project their own frustrations".
But speculation about one of the largest payouts in India's alimony history continues. While, on the wedding day, the focus is on the bride, in the case of a divorce, it's the man who's under the scanner. "In most cases, the onus is on the man to prove his income. The court cannot be sure how much a man is worth; sometimes there's a certain amount of black money involved," says Delhi-based divorce lawyer Geeta Luthra.

While sometimes a billionaire husband refuses to shell out anything, there are occasions when a handcart-pusher is shown as a businessman. The preferable amount, says Luthra, is one-third of the income of the man. In most cases, a lump sum amount is preferred. "The preference is to capitalise the amount to 10 years, or an amount that will yield on interest something equivalent to one-third of the husband's salary. If there are children involved, there is more money," she says.

"The preference is to capitalise the amount to 10 years, or an amount that will yield on interest something equivalent to one-third of the husband's salary. If there are children involved, there is more money," she says.

In India, the alimony amount has grown over the years. "There has been a huge increase in quantum over the years, and courts, too, have started awarding exorbitant amounts as alimony. While protection of the woman is an important concern for us, we try to ensure that there is no exploitation of the man," says Luthra, who has handled divorce cases of some of the wealthiest families in the capital.

Besides the Roshans, there are other celebrity couples who provided plenty of grist for the rumour mills as they headed for splitsville. Prominent among them were Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapur..The couple got married in 2003 and finally filed for divorce in 2014. Though the actress has always been tight-lipped, a source close to Karisma's lawyer said she has allegedly asked for Rs7 crore as alimony.

Rhea Pillai, who was married to Sanjay Dutt and is now separating from tennis star Leander Paes, has also kept gossip mongers active. The Pillai-Paes divorce has reached the family court. Pillai, it is learnt, has demanded Rs4 lakh as monthly maintenance – Rs3lakh for herself and Rs90,000 for their child. "She has also accused both Paes and his father of battery," said a lawyer-in-the-know.

In many cases, the couples have refused to comment on the details of their divorce settlement. Like Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta, or Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, or the much discussed but never disclosed settlement between Aditya Chopra and first wife Payal Khanna.

There's plenty going on with celeb couples abroad too. Like the $100 million Tiger Woods shelled out to wife Elin, or the $350 million Arnold Schwazenegger paid Maria Shriver, or the $4.2 billion Russian magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev coughed up to wife Elena Rybolovleva. Here's a list of some eye-popping alimony amounts:

Dmitry and Elena Rybolovlev: $4.8bn
The Russian fertiliser magnate and billionaire was directed to cough up the record-breaking amount by a court in Geneva to former wife Elena Rybolovleva early this year. That spells to $4,509,375,184.80 of Dmitry's $8 billion fortune that includes a share in French football club AS Monaco, an $88 million 10-bedroom Central Park West apartment and Donald Trump's $95 million 33,000 square feet Palm Beach estate. Dmitry, a serial cheater, was not quite indiscreet with his infidelities, and in the words of his own lawyer, was "not a model husband". The couple's 13-year-old daughter Anna, whose custody is with Elena, was also awarded $150,000 in monthly child support.

Rupert and Anna Murdoch: $1.7bn
For someone used to raising eyebrows, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch outdid himself with the $1.7 billion he reportedly gave his second wife Anna Torv, who he divorced in 1999 after 30 years together. Anna, who had remarried by then, demanded that her children with Rupert have a say in the functioning of News Corp. Rupert, who married News Corp employee Wendi Deng on his yacht in New York harbour just 17 days after the divorce, went through his third divorce last year.

Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi: $874mn
Saudi billionaire Adnan's 1982 divorce to the UK-born Soraya led to one of the costliest separations in legal history. Soraya, who married Adnan when she was 15, was his business partner and helped him build his empire, apart from bearing him five children. The marriage ended in 1974 and Soraya sued him in 1979 for a whopping $2.54 billion, alleging that he had reneged on his promise to take care of her and their children. The out-of-court settlement was reported to be $874 million.

Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey: $150mn
You have to admit that the crooner, who had to split his fortune in half to settle the divorce to his wife of 26 years, was generous. In 1994, when he had to reportedly give up $150 million, he said that she was "worth every penny". When they married in 1969, he did not have many hits to his name and she was his second wife. It was rumours of Neil's infidelities that led to the "irreconcilable differences".

Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone: $1.2bn
The seemingly odd-looking couple – she, a long-legged Croatian Armani model, and he, a diminutive Formula 1 billionaire – were married for 25 years before they split. They had two daughters, and within weeks of their divorce, Bernie was rumoured to have married a Brazilian model. The divorce left Slavica as one of the richest women in all of Europe.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver: $350mn
After she found out that he'd fathered a love child with their housekeeper, Maria Shriver called off her marriage with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a much-publicised divorce, the couple, who were married for 25 years and had five children together, decided to split Arnold's fortune in half and share custody of their two younger children. Arnold was estimated to be worth $700-$750 million and decided to shell out the amount to "do the right thing, and go above and beyond what is required of him under the law".

Michael and Juanita Jordan $168mn
Basketball star Michael Jordan married Juanita five years after he joined NBA. They scripted an agreement a year later. Michael signed off half of his fortune to her. The $168 million settlement, which included their seven-acre Chicago mansion, also included the custody of their children, which was awarded to Juanita.

Craig and Wendy McCaw: $460mn
The telecom billionaire made most of his money, a reported $11 billion, by selling his cellular and telecommunications company AT&T in 1994. However, a few years later, when his wife Wendy filed for divorce, he had to shell out $460 million, which was at that time the largest alimony payment in America. The split earned Wendy a spot on Forbes' 1998 list of richest Americans.

Mel and Robyn Gibson: $425mn
Hollywood star Mel Gibson's divorce to Robyn Moore, his wife of 30 years, cost him a whopping $425 million. Robyn was awarded entitlement to half of Gibson's property and fortune, most of which came from his films.