Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google and the world’s sixth-richest person, filed for divorce from his wife of three years. Brin filed for divorce from Nicole Shanahan last month, alleging “irreconcilable differences,” according to court filings.
The couple has a three-year-old boy and took efforts to keep the specifics of their divorce quiet, asking the court to seal records. Brin is the third mega-billionaire to divorce in recent years, following Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.
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Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Heads For Divorce
Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan’s court filing in Santa Clara, California read, “Because of the high profile nature of their relationship, there is likely to be a significant public interest in their dissolution case and any potential child custody issues.” He previously divorced ’23andMe’ co-founder Anne Wojcicki in 2015.
The business magnate has amassed a wealth of $94 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He has mostly obtained his fortune from his stakes in Google, the business he co-founded with Larry Page in 1998 that eventually became Alphabet Inc. He and Page both departed Alphabet in 2019, though they remain on the board and are the majority shareholders.
Brin’s most recent divorce comes roughly a year after Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced their divorce. It happened approximately three years after Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott separated. When they split up, Bill and Melinda had a $145 billion wealth to share, whereas Jeff and MacKenzie had a $137 billion fortune to divide.
Brin and Shanahan are likely to have a prenuptial agreement because their relationship began long after he became a millionaire, said Monica Mazzei, a partner at Sideman & Bancroft LLP in San Francisco. However, because the divorce is being handled by a private judge, “we will never know the details,” she claimed.
Philanthropy Might Also Play A Part In The Divorce Deal
According to Mazzei, philanthropy might also play a part in the divorce deal. Shanahan founded the Bia-Echo Foundation and its website reveals that they focus on “longevity and equality, criminal justice reform, and a healthy and livable planet.” In its most recent tax filing, the foundation reported $16.7 million in assets and gave $7.4 million in awards in 2019.
Divorce settlements frequently contain assistance for a charity for the ex-spouse since it is mutually beneficial. The grantor receives a tax credit, and the grantee gains control over their charitable giving. According to the tax form, Brin was the only contributor to the foundation that year, with a contribution of more than $23 million.
Since her divorce from Bezos, Scott has become the world’s most prolific philanthropist. She is donating billions of dollars to a variety of charities. Following their divorce, Gates’ focus shifted to philanthropy. Unlike Scott and Bezos, the former pair had already established themselves as mega-donors through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Melinda has since shifted focus to her charitable investment firm Pivotal Ventures. It was started in 2015 with a greater emphasis on implementing “innovative solutions to problems affecting U.S. women and families.”
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