John Paulson’s soon-to-be ex-wife has reportedly turned down a multi-billion-dollar settlement from the hedge fund magnate and decided to take the divorce battle to court.
The 66-year-old, who is estimated to be worth $4.8 billion, is said to have no prenuptial agreement with his 50-year-old Romanian secretary-turned-wife, Jenny.
Reports that Paulson is dating 34-year-old dietician Alina de Almeida have further infuriated Jenny, who only found out Paulson filed for divorce and ‘ran off’ with de Almeida after reading a Page Six article, a source told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Paulson’s lawyer has accused Jenny of ‘greed’ for turning down a settlement thought to be worth billions.
‘People would have been astounded by the generosity of Mr. Paulson’s offer, which would have given Ms. Paulson far more than what is required by law. Her greed has created an insurmountable obstacle to settlement,’ attorney Bill Zabel told the New York Post.
Paulson also told the outlet that he had been trying to meet with Jenny and her lawyers for eight months, but she had, ‘rejected all offers of arbitration or mediation.’
The financier – ranked the No. 177 richest man in America in 2020 by Forbes – has retained Zabel, who has represented a string of rich and famous clients, including George Soros and Howard Stern.
Jenny’s attorney told the Post that she had engaged in negotiations with Paulson but had ultimately decided to take the case to trial.
‘Husbands who have made a fortune in the marriage do not give their wives allowances… He is trying to put pressure on her to accomplish a settlement, and it is just wrong,’ her lawyer, Robert Cohen, told the Post.
The feuding couple, who have been married for two decades and share daughters Danielle and Giselle, are reportedly fighting over an impressive real estate portfolio upwards of $200million ahead of the divorce that could soon see the magnate’s fortune dwindle.
Paulson is also the largest shareholder in Starwood Hotels. He owns a 7 percent stake of the $12.2billion company and is known to collect Alexander Calder pieces, which sell on average for $175,000.
He also has major stakes in luxury resorts in Puerto Rico, including Condado Vanderbilt Hotel and St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, according to Forbes.
John Paulson’s soon-to-be ex-wife (pictured with him) has turned down a multi-billion-dollar settlement from the hedge fund billionaire and decided to take the divorce battle to court
Reports that Paulson is dating 33-year-old dietician Alina de Almeida (pictured) have further infuriated Jenny, who only found out Paulson filed for divorce and ‘ran off’ with de Almeida after reading a Page Six article
Paulson and Jenny are reportedly fighting over an impressive real estate portfolio. Among the properties is their $110M Palm Beach mansion amid a divorce battle, purchased in 2020 June
The 30,000 square feet home in Palm Beach boasts nine bedrooms and 10 and a half bathrooms and is positioned on the Intracoastal Waterway with views of the Atlantic Ocean right across the street
Paulson and Jenny first met in the late 1990s when she delivered lunch to his offices. He then hired the Romanian national as his assistant, reported Bloomberg.
As he approached his mid-40s, John began casting about for a wife and set his sights on Jenny, who did not smoke or drink, and had a ‘cheerful’ personality, according to a 2009 book about the hedge fund trader called The Greatest Trade Ever, by Gregory Zuckerman.
Paulson was quoted in the book as saying that Jenny was ‘a breath of fresh air’ and he spent a year courting his assistant. However, she refused to go out with him unless he fired her and found her another job.
Jenny ultimately agreed to a lunch date with John, and after sharing 200 meals together, the investor proposed to her, according to the book.
Paulson and Jenny- who have two daughters, Giselle and Danielle – first met in the late 1990s when she delivered lunch to his offices. He then hired the Romanian national as his assistant
(Above) Paulson and Almeida pictured at a wedding in Villa d’Este, Italy, on September 25
An unnamed source told Page Six in September that the Paulsons had ‘been living separate lives for the past 15 years,’ despite sharing a 28,000-square-foot townhouse on East 86th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which Paulson for $20million under ask in March
Last September, Page Six reported that it is the lavish Venetian-style South Ocean Drive mansion that they’re most reticent to let go of.
The 30,000 square feet home in Palm Beach, Florida, which was privately listed and purchased by the Paulsons in June 2020, boasts nine bedrooms and 10 and a half bathrooms.
The mega-mansion is positioned on the Intracoastal Waterway with views of the Atlantic Ocean right across the street. It is one of Palm Beach’s most expensive, with luxurious oversized arched windows, columns and wrought-iron detailing.
The property also has several loggias and terraces with water views, a pool and spa, an outdoor lounge with a fire pit, and a primary bedroom suite with dual bathrooms, according to Mansion Global.
The 66-year-old with a net worth estimated at $4.8 billion is said to have no prenuptial agreement with his 50-year-old Romanian secretary-turned-wife, Jenny
They also have an estate in Southampton, New York, called Old Tress, which was obtained for an eye-popping $41 million in 2008, and a luxury 95-acre property called the Hala Ranch in Aspen worth $49 million
An unnamed source told Page Six in September that the Paulsons had also ‘been living separate lives for the past 15 years,’ despite sharing a 28,000-square-foot townhouse on East 86th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Paulson cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the cause of his split, according to documents filed in Suffolk County.
In October, the hedge-fund billionaire was spotted with his new girlfriend attending a friend’s wedding on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como just days after announcing his high-profile divorce from Jenny.
It was revealed that Paulson and Almeida were dating after Page Six sources spotted the pair several times in the Hamptons and said they were already living together in his Olympic Tower, Manhattan, $2.9million apartment.
Almeida is an Instagram health guru and business owner of Effective Lifestyle, a health coaching service.
She finished her nutrition clinicals at NY Presbyterian Hospital, which is associated with two Ivy League schools Columbia and Cornell, according to her website.
The sprawling ranch in Aspen previously belonged to a Saudi prince, who originally bought it for $135million, making it the most expensive home in the US
The Aspen property has 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms and a master suite with a beauty and barber room
The property has 56,000-square-feet and was sold by Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan
‘John does have a new, much younger girlfriend and while it is still early days, the relationship is blossoming. They are very happy,’ a source told Page Six in September.
John and Jenny Paulson have a massive collection of luxury real-estate that the couple amassed in their two-decade-long marriage.
First, they paid $14.7 million for a neo-Georgian townhouse in Manhattan. The home is a 28,513 square feet, six-story, and 51-foot-wide limestone.
They also have an estate in Southampton, New York, called Old Tress, which was obtained for an eye-popping $41 million in 2008, and a luxury 95-acre property called the Hala Ranch in Aspen worth $49 million.
The ranch was built in 1991 and was originally purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Bandar bin Sultan for $135 million. The estate has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the most expensive home in the United States.
The Paulsons also own a sprawling estate in Southampton, New York, called Old Tress, which was obtained for an eye-popping $41million in 2008
Paulson bought an apartment in Olympic Tower in Midtown, closer to the offices of his hedge fund, for $2.9million in 2010
Paulson became a celebrity in the world of finance when in 2007 he made an unprecedented bet against the then-booming housing market, predicting that the subprime loan bubble would burst.
When Paulson’s forecast came to pass, he and his investors walked away from the financial calamity $20 billion richer. Paulson’s hedge funds managed $38 billion at their height in 2011, which shrank to $8 billion by the end of 2019.
On the heels of the heavy losses, Paulson converted his hedge fund into a family investment firm in 2020.
He graduated from NYU and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1994, he founded his own hedge fund called Paulson & Co.
He spent his 30s as a hotshot bachelor, living in a loft in SoHo in downtown Manhattan, rubbing elbows with celebrities and models.
In October, the hedge-fund billionaire was spotted with new girlfriend Alina de Almeida, 33, attending a friend’s wedding on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como just days after announcing his high-profile divorce to Jenny