GRIFFINS SETTLE OUT OF COURT
Illinois’ richest man reaches divorce deal, sparing couple from having to testify in court
Illinois’ richest man, hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, has reached a divorce settlement with his wife, Anne Dias Griffin, ending a yearlong saga that dragged the prominent couple into an unflattering spotlight.
The agreement, finalized Tuesday, spares the couple from the potentially embarrassing prospect of testifying at a trial that was scheduled to start this week.
Ken and Anne Dias Griffin will share custody of their three children, according to court documents. Dias Griffin had sought sole custody, with visitation.
Dias Griffin, 45, also agreed to withdraw a petition seeking to move the children with her to New York.
In addition, the prenup that Dias Griffin sought to have invalidated will be upheld — but terms of the “marital settlement agreement” will supercede the prenup, according to court documents.
The settlement also granted Dias Griffin the right to resume using her maiden name, “Dias.”
The actual agreement, which contains the nuts and bolts of the monetary settlement, was not disclosed “per an agreement between the parties,” Cook County Circuit Courts spokesman Pat Milhizer said.
Reached Wednesday, a spokesman for Griffin declined to comment. Attorneys on both sides did not return requests for comment.
Word of a divorce settlement began circulating Wednesday morning.
Cook County Judge Grace G. Dickler signed off on the divorce and settlement on Tuesday, a day after she abruptly halted the trial on its opening day to allow both sides more time reach a deal.
“Hopefully things will work out,” Dickler said at the time.
Had a deal not been reached, the trial was set to resume Wednesday morning. Anne Dias Griffin was set to be the first witness.
Ken Griffin, 46, is estimated to be worth $7 billion. He initiated divorce proceedings in July 2014. The case has generated a huge amount of palace intrigue as the personal life of one of the nation’s most successful hedge fund managers played out in court filings.
Dias Griffin had argued that she was coerced into signing a prenup on the eve of their wedding in 2003, and that her estranged husband was obligated to pay millions in living expenses for her and the couple’s children.
Ken Griffin argued that because his wife accepted $1 million yearly payments as prescribed in their prenup — in addition to the $25 million she was entitled to on their wedding day — she had no problems with the agreement until divorce proceedings began.
Court filings even dispute the way Dias Griffin felt in the days leading up to their wedding. She claimed she was incredibly anxious and consumed with wedding plans, while her husband said she was excited and happy.
Dias Griffin, a money manager and entrepreneur, was born in France and came to the U.S. in 1998. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University, where she once worked as an overnight security guard to pay for tuition.
Ken Griffin, who grew up in Florida and attended Harvard University, met his future wife in 2002. The couple became known for philanthropy and collecting art.