Divorce always impacts the finances of both halves of a couple, but when the world’s richest man gets divorced, that impact goes to a whole other level.
The announcement that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is pegged at $137 billion, and his wife MacKenzie are ending their 25-year marriage could remove the “world’s richest man” title from Bezos’ resume, though that’s certainly the last thing on his mind these days. Washington state has communal property laws, meaning any assets that were gathered during the course of the marriage will be split.
In this case, that includes Amazon, which Bezos founded soon after marrying MacKenzie. That could see her exiting the union with nearly $75 billion.
There are also substantial real estate holdings that the couple will have to split. The Bezos’ reportedly own at least five houses around the country in Medina, Wash., Beverly Hills, Van Horn, Texas, Washington D.C., and Manhattan. Jeff is the 25th largest landowner in the U.S., according to Business Insider.
One thing that could impact the division of assets, of course, is a prenuptial agreement. It’s unknown if the couple had one or if some other arrangements were made during the course of the marriage. The couple also has four children, so it’s possible some of the Bezos fortune will be diverted into funds for them before Jeff and MacKenzie take their share.
Even if Bezos’ net worth is cut in half following the divorce, he’ll still be one of the world’s richest people. At $68 billion, he would rank fourth on Bloomberg’s list (and would be very close to the third place spot). If Amazon’s stock continues on the trajectory it has been on for the past several years, he could quickly begin climbing his way up the list again.