Divorces are mostly brutal for normal people but for billionaires, there’s no doubt that it would be costly. And people have seen these types of instances. For example, Bill Gates had a divorce with Melinda French Gates, who reportedly walked away with a jaw-dropping $25 billion in 2021. Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, scored a staggering $36 billion in Amazon stock after their 2019 split.
And amidst all these big names how can we not talk about Donald Trump? For him, things played out a little differently. Despite being among the very few rich people,making it onto Forbes, his ex-wives Ivana Trump and Marla Maples didn’t exactly cash out huge amounts, especially compared to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos. Still, one of those divorces hit Trump hard, especially since he wasn’t exactly flush with cash at the time.
The divorce of Donald Trump and Ivana has its roots from 1990 when she came to know that he was having an affair. Their bitter separation reached the headlines and attained huge popularity, with People magazine dubbing it: “Trump Vs. Trump: Billion Dollar Blowup.” But the payout wasn’t nearly as massive as the hype suggested.
By 1992, the divorce was finalized, and she took –
- $14 million in cash (around $32 million today)
- Two properties (a Connecticut estate and a Trump Plaza apartment)
- The right to stay at Mar-a-Lago for one month each year
- $650,000 annually in child support
Concerning the huge drama that took place circling the event, people expected something more will be in the line and eventually go with Ivana
Next came the divorce from Marla Maples. Since it was the second time Donald Trump got into this type of situation, a dialogue of Ivana came forward the 1996 film The First Wives Club: “Don’t get mad, get everything.” However, Trump learned his lesson, and the details of what Maples received are as follows:
- Just $2 million total (half earmarked for buying a home)
- $100,000 a year in child support for their daughter Tiffany, until age 21
- (Plus, Maples hinted he quietly covered Tiffany’s education, too)
In short, Marla got the short end of the stick.
President Donald Trump has changed the divorce law.
No more assets split.
No more drama.
No more BS. $TON #LayerZero pic.twitter.com/GKuuDZtZnW— Tola Joseph Fadugbagbe (@connectwithtola) February 22, 2025
The Aftermath
The money wasn’t the only tough part: Ivana admitted she carried ‘deep scars’ from Donald’s cheating, writing about her heartbreak in her 2017 book, Raising Trump. Maples, meanwhile, told The New York Times her split was “such a painful time,” saying: “All those years in the press pretty much ripped my heart out.”
Over time, though, things softened. Ivana and Donald mended fences long before her death in 2022, while Maples remains on civil terms with her ex — even speaking out in his defense during his 2024 presidential run. So no, Trump’s divorces didn’t cost him Gates- or Bezos-level billions — but when it came to reputation, heartbreak, and headlines, the price was plenty high.
