Harry Macklowe’s divorce is “not going to be a pleasant experience” if he and his estranged wife can’t agree on how to divvy up their fortune without going to court, a Manhattan judge said Wednesday.
The real estate mogul reportedly offered his wife of 58 years, Linda Macklowe, $1 billion to end their marriage. But Linda turned the offer down and served her husband with divorce papers, and now the two are set to go to trial in September.
Manhattan Justice Laura Drager, however, warned that a trial would be a messy affair, and urged the two to settled out of court, the New York Post reported.
“Your personal lives, your business, your assets, everything will be displayed for everyone to see,” Drager said.
“What I foresee is a very difficult, extended trial,” she added, pointing out that the two couldn’t even figure out a way to divide up their bank accounts, even though most of their $2 billion fortune is in real estate and art.
Back in 2008, Harry transferred a large chunk of his assets to Linda in order to hide them from creditors, according to the Post. He has announced plans to marry his French fiancée Patricia Landeau once the divorce is wrapped up. [NYP] – Rich Bockmann