Prenuptial agreement guides divorce of Google co-founder
A person in North Carolina contemplating a high-asset divorce could learn from the quiet and seemingly uncontroversial divorce made final between one Google co-founder and his wife. This high-profile couple had been married for eight years, and their prenuptial agreement likely spared them a public battle over marital assets.
The co-founder is reportedly worth about $30 billion, but his divorce settlement was not publicly revealed. As for his company, the divorce does not appear to have any impact on ownership or operations. In 2013, the couple separated. There have been reports that the co-founder had a relationship with another woman at Google.
Google remains an investor in 23andMe, the human genome company founded by the co-founder’s former wife. Under her leadership, the company raised $110 million. Her sister, who was among the first employees at Google, continues to be in charge of its YouTube business. The divorced couple has two children, and they maintain separate residences in California. Parenting duties and child custody appear to be shared.
Although this high-profile couple had a prenuptial agreement, their high-asset divorce likely required additional legal support because the agreement would only serve as the foundation of the final divorce terms. A person beginning the divorce process might seek an attorney to help with tasks such as asset valuation and division of retirement accounts. Additionally, an attorney could inform clients about rights and obligations concerning the division of property and child support. In high-asset separations, the division of assets could become complex when multiple business interests and offshore accounts are present. One could also consult with an attorney if challenges arise to a prenuptial agreement.
Source: Business Insider, “Google founder Sergey Brin and wife Anne Wojcicki have gotten divorced,” Alyson Shontell, June 23, 2015