Thursday 23 June 2011

Briton Who Won $1 Billion Divorce Case Files for Bankruptcy

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A British woman who won a reported $1 billion in one of the biggest divorce settlements in history has filed for bankruptcy in the US.

Patricia Kluge, a 62-year-old socialite, winemaker and one-time adult film actress, reported debts with her third husband of about £30 million, despite selling her 300-acre estate in Virginia.

She admitted defeat after a £10 million fire-sale last year of paintings, Roman statues, Qing dynasty antiques, a Chippendale commode, a four-poster bed from Hedingham Castle and a George III crystal chandelier.

Liquidating jewellery including 64 carats worth of diamonds, platinum and diamond earrings, and a sapphire-and-diamond Cartier watch, also failed to keep her afloat.

Asked last night where all her money had gone, Miss Kluge would only say: "That's a very long story". Her husband, Bill Moses, has said: "We spent too much, too fast."

"It's not the moment to talk about 'what ifs'," Miss Kluge told The Daily Telegraph, "or for what we coulda, shoulda, woulda".

"It needn't have come to this, and we had settlement talks on the table, but the banks decided this was the route to take. We're focused on the future and moving forward." » | Jon Swaine, New York | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

My comment:

If one has to declare bankruptcy after being in possession of a billion, then there's really no hope for the person! If a billion won't see someone through the rest of his/her life in comfort, then I don't know what will. The old saying, 'easy come, easy go' is as true today as it ever was. – © Mark

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