Chicago Multibillionaire’s Divorce Drags On

Ken Giffin and Anne Dias Griffin’s divorce has been pending for 14 months now. In all fairness, there is a lot for the couple to sort out. Ken Griffin has been reported to be the richest individual in Illinois. He is the founder of the Citadel hedge fund and Anne is a money manager.

Ken filed the divorce papers in July of 2014 and sought to have a 2003 prenuptial agreement to be enforced. He claims that Anne signed it after seeking counsel from attorneys and that he currently pays the majority of the expenses related to their three children. Anne, in her own right, is financially independent. She is worth an estimated $50 million and he has already paid her the $40 million as required under their prenuptial agreement.

Anne, however, seeks to have the prenuptial agreement voided and alleges that she signed it while under duress. At the time the premarital contract was signed, Ken was worth approximately $1 billion while Anne had assets just under $1 million. Anne has argued to the court that Ken’s monthly net income is $68 million and she is requesting less than 2% of that for child support. Anne claims this is a “bargain” for Ken since Illinois law calls for the minimum amount of child support for three children to be 32% of his net income.

Forbes magazine releases an annual ranking of individuals’ net worth. Ken was named as the 69^th wealthiest individual in the United States. His net worth increased from $5.5 billion to $7 billion.

Ken and Anne are also battling over the custody arrangement for their children. Ken is seeking joint custody and Anne is requesting sole custody with “reasonable” visitation for Ken. Anne has also sought court permission to have the children more with her to New York.

Each side is calling on witnesses to support their side, including information ranging from Citadel’s worth to records indicating who traveled with Ken on his private jet. From the looks of things, it appears that this case won’t be resolved anytime soon. The parties continue to call their expert witnesses and the fighting continues.

We will continue to monitor the Griffin divorce and the potential child custody battle that seems to be brewing. If you are facing divorce or you have other family law needs, our legal team is here to help. Contact the Men’s Divorce Law Firm to schedule a consultation with a caring professional, and aggressive advocate for men’s rights in divorce, child timesharing (custody), and paternity matters.