This is the first in a series of articles about the high costs of divorce by Elke Rubach, president of Rubach Wealth.
Let’s be honest: There’s a certain voyeuristic thrill in reading about a $38 billion divorce.
But behind the headlines and eye-popping settlement figures lies a serious warning for high-net-worth families: Love is personal, but divorce is deeply financial.
And when wealth is involved, the stakes aren’t just emotional, they’re generational.
For family offices, these breakups are much more than gossip. They are cautionary tales in legacy protection, governance planning and the cost of procrastination.
For most families, it’s one of life’s more painful chapters. But for wealthy families, it’s often a high-stakes chess game with ripple effects across businesses, estates, trusts and philanthropic structures.
Let’s look at a few real-world examples—not for drama’s sake, but for the very real lessons they offer. Divorce isn’t rare, but being ready for it is.
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott
Bezos and Scott were married in 1993, long before Amazon became a tech behemoth. They had no prenuptial agreement. When they divorced in 2019 after 25 years, Scott walked away with four per cent of Amazon’s shares, worth approximately $38 billion at the time.
To their credit, the split remained civil. Scott even relinquished voting control over her shares to help her husband maintain corporate stability. But the legal, financial and tax complexity behind the scenes was staggering. Some estimates have placed the professional costs at $70 million or more.
What’s the takeaway? Even amicable divorces can cost millions, and if you’re not prepared, they can also cost control, reputation and strategic direction.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
In 2000, pop star Madonna married British movie director Guy Ritchie. They had no prenup. Eight years later, when they separated, Madonna was worth an estimated $500 million. Ritchie reportedly received $76 million to $92 million in property and cash.
While the details were largely kept private, the custody battle over their son became public, messy and emotionally charged as it played out in courts across two countries.
This wasn’t just about money. It was about privacy, control and the complexity of transnational family law. It’s also a reminder that without planning, divorce becomes a spectacle.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has been divorced three times—twice from the same person. In each case, he reportedly lacked a prenuptial agreement. The cumulative cost of these divorces remains private, but Musk’s first wife, Justine, has spoken publicly about their contentious financial negotiations and emotional fallout.
While the dollar figures may not make much of a dent in Musk’s net worth, the repeated lack of structure and emotional volatility resulted in business and reputational consequences, especially as he stepped into higher-profile leadership roles.
The lesson? Intelligence in business doesn’t always translate to preparedness in personal matters.
What can family offices do?
Divorce planning isn’t about assuming the worst. It’s about safeguarding what has been built.
Here’s what proactive family offices should already be doing:
• Make prenuptial and postnuptial agreements standard. These aren’t just for celebrities; they’re for anyone managing intergenerational wealth.
• Review estate plans and ownership structures regularly, especially during life transitions such as marriage, divorce or remarriage.
• Plan for blended families. The strategies behind inheritance expectations, business roles and shared assets all need to be clearly documented.
• Protect privacy with structure. Because once it’s public, you can’t undo the damage.
• Treat divorce like any other risk. If you insure assets, diversify portfolios and plan tax strategies, divorce deserves the same strategic foresight.
Final thought
Even the most powerful and wealthy people get divorce planning wrong, often because it’s uncomfortable, emotional or feels unnecessary.
But when divorce happens without preparation, the cost isn’t just a cheque. It’s reputational risk, family breakdown, legal chaos and sometimes the loss of control over everything a family has spent decades building.
You don’t need to expect divorce to prepare for it. You just need to care enough about your legacy to make sure it’s protected—no matter what happens.
Elke Rubach is a Certified Financial Planner with CLU and MFA-P designations. Her expertise lies in optimizing income and tax efficiencies, achieving cohesiveness in financial and estate plans, and providing ongoing asset management strategies that foster wealth accumulation and growth. Elke is a reformed lawyer who earned her graduate degree in law, with a focus on banking and finance, at the London School of Economics, where she studied on a Chevening Scholarship. She worked as an associate at the London (U.K.) and Toronto offices of the law firm McCarthy Tetrault. During a stint in banking, Elke observed the life-changing impact of good financial advice and decided to switch to a career in financial planning and wealth management. She founded Toronto-based Rubach Wealth in 2012. Today, Elke is a sought-after speaker on wealth management, estate planning and philanthropy. She’s the founder of Fashion Heals for SickKids, which has raised more than $500,000 for pediatric cancer care and research since 2016. She also gives back with board and volunteer commitments with the Professional Advisory Council for SickKids Foundation, the Investment Committee at the Office of the Public Guardian, the advisory board for Transpod Inc., and the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Toronto.
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