You need more than just a lovely face to enchant the world's most powerful men. You might assume the world's wealthiest people could date anybody they wanted, but you may be surprised at how they handle their love lives. For the most part, these ladies were married to their billionaire partners long before they became wealthy.
Many of these women are public figures, CEOs, and entrepreneurs, and some have dedicated their lives to humanitarian projects that have changed the course of history. In the pages that follow, we will get to know these billion-dollar better halves and their million-dollar romance stories.
Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook was co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg, a billionaire with an estimated net worth of $71.2 billion. He married Priscilla Chan, a pediatrician and philanthropist, in 2012. It was back in 2003 that Priscilla Chan first met "nerdy" sophomore Mark Zuckerberg. The couple now has two kids together.
In 2015, the two co-founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, devoting 99 percent of the wealth they had accrued from Facebook shares to help improve education, the justice system, and health care. To focus on this project, Chan eventually left her profession as a pediatrician. In 2016, she and Zuckerberg founded CZ Biohub, a nonprofit disease research facility.
Mariah Carey and James Packer
Pop artist Mariah Carey was engaged to Australian entrepreneur James Packer, who has an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion. They had been engaged for less than a year when they decided to call it quits.
When they first met in Aspen in 2014 at the premiere of Hercules, the two quickly hit it off. They became a couple almost immediately but didn't make things public until June 2015, when they were seen walking hand in hand on the beach of St. Barts.
Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel
Miranda Kerr married Evan Spiegel, the co-creator of Snapchat, in 2017. Kerr is the founder of Kora Organics skincare and the first Australian Victoria's Secret model. She met Spiegel at a Louis Vuitton event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Snap entrepreneur gave Kerr a handcrafted gingerbread house with the names of her and her son written in frosting on their first date. According to Forbes, Spiegel's net worth is currently sitting at around $3.1 billion. The couple has been blessed with two children.
Nicole Schuetz and Kevin Systrom
Instagram was co-founded by Kevin Systrom, who has a net worth of $1.49 billion. He is married to Nicole Schuetz, CEO of Sutro, which invests in renewable energy. The couple met in high school and were engaged for two years before tying the knot in Napa on October 31st, 2015.
Kevin met Nicole Schuetz for the first time at a Stanford Alma Mater event. The couple quickly fell in love with one another and were engaged just two years later during a Thanksgiving gathering. The wedding, which took place on January 21st, 2016, was restricted to close friends and family members.
Wendi Deng and Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch, media magnate and former CEO of Fox, has a net worth of $13.6 billion. Wendi Deng was the billionaire's third wife; however, the relationship ended in divorce in 2013. Deng and Murdoch first met at a company event in Hong Kong in 1997.
Two years later, in 1999, the couple tied the knot on Murdoch's yacht "The Morning Glory." As part of her divorce deal from Rupert, Wendi acquired a $49 million house in New York, which she has been living in since 2013. The couple has two children.
Gabi Holzwarth and Travis Kalanick
Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, has an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion. He's been dating a lovely and brilliant street violinist, Gabi Holzwarth, for nearly three years, but insiders say they split up because of the rising pressures of his career.
The two met at a party held by Shervin Pishevar, a venture capitalist who has invested in Uber and Airbnb. Travis and Gabi began dating soon after. In August 2016, Holzwarth and Kalanick called it quits. For several months, she avoided mentioning him or Uber in any way.
Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault
By most accounts, the Frida actress and film producer is extremely wealthy, but not in comparison to her spouse. Francois-Henri Pinault is the CEO of Kering, and the French billionaire is worth $23.9 billion. In 2009, he married Salma Hayek. They had met three years earlier at a Palazzo Grassi Gala in Venice.
The couple actually tied the knot twice in 2009: the first was a low-key city hall wedding ceremony in Paris on Valentine's Day. The second was a lavish opera theater wedding in Venice, complete with an elaborate masquerade party held at the famed Punta Della Dogana art gallery.
Lucinda Southworth and Larry Page
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, has a $48.3 billion net worth. In 2007, he and his now-wife Lucy Southworth got married. When Larry Page married Southworth in 2007, he reserved a whole private island for the ceremony with the help of fellow billionaire Richard Branson. Southworth is a research scientist and philanthropist with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford.
In 2004, the pair established the Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation, and in 2018, they gave $15 million to help fight Ebola in West Africa. Despite stepping down as CEO of Alphabet (Google's parent company) in 2019, Page is still on the board and holds a majority stake.
Anne Wojcicki and Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin, another co-founder of Google, has a $47 billion net worth. Anne Wojcicki, an entrepreneur, married him in 2007, but the two were divorced by 2015. It was Wojcicki's sister who first introduced her to Brin. Susan Wojcicki rented out her garage in Menlo Park, California, to Brin and co-founder Larry Page in 1998, allowing them to concentrate on their fledgling firm, Google.
In May of 2007, Wojcicki and Brin wed in a private ceremony in the Bahamas. The couple split in 2013 when she was said to have been "blindsided" by his romance with a Google employee. However, the ex-spouses have a friendly relationship and are now co-parenting their children.
Kate Greer and Jack Dorsey
Jack Dorsey, of Twitter and Square fame, has a net worth of $2.9 billion. Since 2013, Kate Greer had been Jack Dorsey's on-and-off girlfriend, although the two are no longer together. Originally from Iowa, Greer is an entrepreneur, blogger, and artist who currently resides in New York City.
Following a brief romance that began in 2010, Greer and Dorsey called it quits in 2011. Greer confirmed their rekindling in early 2013 when she posted images of herself and Dorsey embracing on Instagram. The couple kept their relationship quiet, with neither making many public statements about it.
Malia Andelin and Sumner Redstone
Viacom and CBS Corporation belong to Sumner Redstone and his family, who possess the majority stakes. His fortune is estimated to be $4.8 billion. Before Malia Andelin, he had two unsuccessful marriages. Malia Andelin may have grabbed Sumner Redstone's attention while working as a flight attendant for Viacom jets.
Redstone is a well-known businessman who owns the National Amusements group and a fleet of private planes. Viacom, MTV Networks, BET, CBS Corporation, and Paramount Pictures are all subsidiaries of the organization. At the time of their first meeting, Andelin was in her twenties, and her husband, Sumner, was 89.
Kristy Hinze and James Clarke
James Clark, who has a net worth of $2.1 billion, built many Silicon Valley technology companies. He married his model bride Kristy Hinze in 2009. It's no secret that Kristy Hinze is a multi-talented entertainer and actress. She has graced the covers of both Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret.
Their romance stirred controversy because of the 36-year age gap between them. However, they have been married since 2009, which has put an end to all speculation. They are now the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Dylan Vivienne and Harper.
Andrea Hissom and Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn, a real estate businessman best known for his casinos, has a net worth of $3.3 billion. Andrea Hissom and Steve Wynn married on April 30, 2011, the same weekend as Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. The ceremony was held at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Until his resignation on January 27, 2018, Steve Wynn served as the CEO and chairman of Mirage Resorts, the parent company of Wynn Resorts, and the Republican National Committee. Guests referred to their wedding as "America's royal wedding" because of the lavish arrangements and the appearance of his British bride.
Tamiko Bolton and George Soros
One of the world's most successful investors, George Soros, has a net worth of $8 billion. In 2013, he married Tamiko Bolton, 42 years his junior. When George Soros gambled against the British pound, the hedge fund industry dubbed him "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England."
Tamika Bolton and George Soros met at a dinner party in 2008, although they didn't wed until 2013. This age disparity and a legal dispute between Soros and a former partner have drawn a great deal of criticism their way. However, their love appears to be stronger than ever.
Claudia Barilla and Guy Laliberte
In addition to being an investor, poker player, singer, and millionaire businessman, Guy Laliberte is perhaps most known for co-founding Cirque du Soleil in the early 1980s. He is now in a relationship with model Claudia Barilla, who is undoubtedly the most humble wife on the list.
Barilla is a supermodel and mother of two. She is famed for living a simple lifestyle for a woman of her stature. Despite her apparent affluence, she has been spotted wearing Converse sneakers and simple outfits. She is the director of the One Drop Foundation, which assists at-risk adolescents. Laliberte is worth $1.3 billion.
Nikita Kahn and Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, has been dating this businesswoman and animal rights activist for more than a decade. Ellison, a member of Tesla's board of directors and one of the world's wealthiest individuals, is worth $59.8 billion. He owns nearly the whole Hawaiian island of Lanai.
In 2013, he launched a Malibu restaurant called Nikita, named after his girlfriend. The Hollywood Reporter calls its fare "Gazillionaire Grub." Kahn owns a real estate company and worked with the California Wildlife Center. The couple made news in 2016 when they donated $1.16 million to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park's Rhino Rescue Center.
Melinda Gates and Bill Gates
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has a net worth of $90.1 billion, making him one of the world's wealthiest individuals. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was established by the former couple, who were married for over two decades. The Gates family is undoubtedly one of the most well-known in the world.
Soon after finishing college, Melinda began working for Microsoft, a company controlled by her soon-to-be-husband. After a few months, she began dating her boss. In 1994, after several years of dating, the couple got married in Hawaii and went on to have three children together. Their divorce was made final in 2021.
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg
One of the world's most successful film directors and producers, Steven Spielberg, has a $3.6 billion net worth. In 1991, he married actress Kate Capshaw, also known as Kathleen Sue Spielberg. They first met back in 1984 when shooting Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, in which Capshaw played a nightclub singer named Willie Scott.
They had strong chemistry right away. After a six-year relationship, Spielberg and Capshaw tied the knot in 1990. Capshaw's achievements in the film industry, as well as her marriage, have elevated her to the status of one of Hollywood's most prominent figures.
Laurene Powell Jobs and Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, died in 2011 with an estimated net worth of $10.2 billion. The marriage between Lauren Powell Jobs and her husband, Steve Jobs, lasted 20 years. During a lecture in 1989 at the Stanford Business School, their paths crossed, and they remained close until Steve's untimely demise.
Although he was one of the 20th century's best minds in technology, he wasn't the only one in the couple to achieve success. Laurene formed Emerson Collective, a non-profit organization that advocates for immigration, education, and environmental reform. She is also a member of organizations that help students who lack financial resources to attend college.
Alison Pincus and Marcus Pincus
Marcus Pincus, the co-founder of social gaming company Zynga Inc. and Farmville developer, has a $1.54 billion net worth. He married Alison Gelb in 2008. She appears to be a successful entrepreneur in her own right. She is one of the co-founders of One Kings Lane, a website and company that sells high-end furnishings to over 10 million customers.
The couple stayed together for seven years and had three children. However, the last we heard, they were going through a difficult divorce. Alison filed the paperwork in 2017, citing "irreconcilable differences."
Ricky Anne Loew-Beer and Ralph Lauren
Fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife Ricky Anne Loew-Beer, whom he married in the 1960s, have been together for decades. While working as a receptionist at a doctor's office, Ricky Anne Loew-Beer, better known as Ricky Lauren, met her husband. After just six months of dating, they tied the knot in 1964.
They've been married for more than 50 years and have three well-adjusted children to show for it. Two of their three children have gone on to start their own businesses. Despite stepping down as CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation in 2015, the fashion mogul is still worth approximately $6 billion.
Diane Von Furstenberg and Barry Diller
In 2001, billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who has a net worth of $3.2 billion, married a fashion designer named Diane Von Furstenberg. He is also the chairman and a senior executive at IAC and Expedia. Both Forbes and Time magazine have ranked Diane as one of the world's most powerful women, and for plenty of good reasons.
In addition to being a fashion icon and the inventor of the wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg was formerly a German princess. Fox Broadcasting Company co-founder Barry Diller is her husband. In addition to her husband's fortune, Diane von Furstenberg has a personal wealth of $1.2 billion.
Fabiana Flosi and Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone, the billionaire businessman and former head of Formula One Group, has a $3.1 billion net worth. Fabiana Flosi and Bernie Ecclestone also have a happy marriage, despite their 46-year age difference. They have been married since 2021.
Flosi was born and reared in Brazil, where she is known for her love of fashion and her impeccable taste. Alexander Charles Ecclestone, the couple's first child, was born in 2020. He is Flosi's first child. In contrast, Ecclestone is already a great-grandfather to five great-grandchildren from his older children.
Eloise Broady and John Paul Dejoria
John Paul Dejoria is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who co-founded the Patrón Spirits Company and the Paul Mitchell hair product business. He and his wife, Eloise Broady, have been together for over two decades. Eloise is an American actress and model.
Since 1993, the businessman and philanthropist has been married to this former Playboy Playmate. Helping Clifford Help Kids, The Austin Recovery Center, Helping Hands, and The Austin Children's Shelter are just a few of the causes in which the two have recently invested their time and resources. It's estimated that Dejoria has a fortune of $3.2 billion.
Joan Templeman and Richard Branson
Richard Branson is a well-known billionaire, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with an estimated net worth of 5.1 billion dollars. As the founder and CEO, he oversees the Virgin Group. He and his second wife, Joan Templeman, have been together and thriving ever since their marriage in 1989.
Templeman first met fellow Brit Branson in 1976, when Branson had already established himself as the founder of Virgin and its several subsidiaries. In 1989, they married and had two children together. They live on Necker Island, a private island owned by the family.
Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant
An American businessman and philanthropist with a reported net worth of $500 million, Peter Brant has to be included on this list. In 1995, he wed supermodel Stephanie Seymour, and they went on to have four children together. Stephanie Seymour is a former supermodel and actress who has been featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Vogue.
She's even appeared in the music videos for "November Rain" and "Don't Cry" by Guns N' Roses. Seymour filed for divorce from Brant in 2009 after 14 years of marriage, but the two reconciled the following year and are now happier than ever.
Elle Macpherson and Jeffrey Soffer
It is estimated that Jeffrey Soffer, the heir to Donald Soffer's fortune, has a net worth of $4.2 billion. Donald is recognized for developing Florida swamplands into the attractive and thrilling destination known as Aventura. Elle Macpherson, a supermodel, married him in 2013. She is a well-known Australian television host, actress, and model.
After going strong in 2009, Macpherson and Soffer drifted apart and ended their relationship in March of 2012. However, in November of 2012, they reunited and married in the middle of the year. Unfortunately, getting married didn't help their problems, and they're now divorced.
Aleksandra Nikolic Melnichenko and Andrey Melnichenko
In addition to being a Russian billionaire, businessman, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur, Andrey Melnichenko is also an active investor in social causes. He is one of Russia's wealthiest men, with a personal fortune of $13.6 billion. Former Serbian singer and model Aleksandra Melnichenko is his wife.
In 2003, the couple met in the south of France and married two years later. Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston are said to have performed during their wedding on the Cote D'Azur in 2005. Andrey Melnichenko and Aleksandra Melnichenko are the parents of two children.
Julia Margaret Flesher and David Koch
David Koch has a net worth of $48.7 billion. He is a businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He also inherited a considerable fortune from his parents. Julia Flesher married David in 1996.
Since then, Koch and his brother have amassed a combined fortune of more than $50 billion, making them the wealthiest members of their family. After tying the knot in 1996, the couple had three healthy children together. David Koch died in 2019 at the age of 79 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Kirsty Bertarelli and Ernesto Bertarelli
In 2000, Ernesto Bertarelli proposed to Kirsty, a songwriter. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling comes to mind when discussing the wealthiest women in the United Kingdom. However, the UK's richest woman is, in fact, Kirsty Bertarelli – the 1988 Miss UK and Miss World runner-up winner.
While she has amassed a substantial fortune on her own, Ernesto Bertarelli, her husband and the source of the majority of her wealth, is estimated to be worth $8.9 billion. Twenty years ago, in 2000, the couple married and moved to Switzerland with their three children.
Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie's net worth is reported to be $15 million. He married Padma Lakshmi, his fourth wife, in 2004, but the marriage resulted in divorce in 2007. Padma, who is best known for her role as a host on the television show Top Chef, has a wide range of other talents, including being an author, an actress, and a model.
She already has a $40 million net worth, but marrying a billionaire surely won't hurt. From 1999 through 2007, Padma and Salman were together. Sadly, this love tale did not have a happy ending. Still, Padma remembers the early years of their marriage as "blissful."
Irina Viner-Usmanov and Alisher Usmanov
Alisher Usmanova, a Russian businessman with a net worth of $15.4 billion, married Irina Viner-Usmanova in 1992. She is the head coach of the Russian national gymnastics team. Irina Viner is well-known as one of the world's top gymnastics trainers. In 2015, Irina was given the Olympic Order for her contributions to international sports.
She is in charge of the rhythmic gymnastics team's training in Russia. The two first met as teenage athletes in Tashkent when she competed in gymnastics and Alisher in fencing. They drifted apart but eventually reconnected in Moscow years later.
Julie Chen and Leslie Moonves
It is estimated that Leslie Moonves, the CBS Corporation's president, earns an annual income of $1.2 billion. In 2003, when he was still married to another woman, news reporter and producer Julie Chen and Leslie Moonves began a romantic relationship. Young Chen was a reporter for The Daily Show when Moonves was CEO and chairman of CBS.
Just 13 days after being given an early divorce settlement, he tied the knot with Chen. Although recent claims against him have diminished his economic wealth, his marriage to Chen remains strong, and the couple has a son together.
Yekaterina Domankova and Anton Zingarevich
Former Reading Football Club owner Anton Zingarevich married his Belarusian Victoria's Secret model bride Yekaterina Domankova in 2009, and the couple has been happily married ever since. Yekaterina Domankova, better known by her stage name Katsia, is a Russian model.
She is best recognized for her career with Victoria's Secret. Anton married her a year after they first met, and the couple went on to have a child together. Anton is the current owner of Reading Football Club, which competes in the English Premier League.
Penny Knight and Phil Knight
Phil Knight – Nike's co-founder and chairman – is worth an estimated $27.7 billion. In 1968, he tied the knot with his longtime partner Penny Knight. Penny and Phil Knight first met when Phil was a Portland State University lecturer.
The billionaire founder of the world-famous sportswear company Nike, Phil Knight, is now known as "Shoe Dog." He's one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Three children have been born to the marriage, but sadly, one of their children died in a scuba diving accident in 2004.
Sonia Klein and Paul Tudor Jones II
Paul Tudor Jones II is an investor and hedge fund manager who is reported to have a net worth of $4.7 billion. He and his wife, Sonia Klein, have been together since 1988. Sonia Klein was a popular model in Australia throughout the 1980s.
Sonia established JOIS yoga in 2000, which is an Ashtanga yoga school. She is a yoga fanatic and a teacher-certified Ashtanga practitioner. She is currently working on creating a JOIS signature apparel line, and the expansion of her budding empire won’t stop there.
Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II
In 2011, the billionaire Prince Albert II of Monaco married Princess Charlene of Monaco, a former Olympic swimmer. Though she and her spouse first met in 2001, their relationship remained private until 2006.
Despite the rumors that the soon-to-be Princess of Monaco had reservations about getting married, the couple wed in 2011. The royal family strongly refuted any suggestion that Princess Charlene had cold feet. With an estimated net worth of over $1 billion, the Prince of Monaco is one of the wealthiest royals in the world.
Erica Packer and James Packer
James Packer – a businessman and investor who is one of Australia's wealthiest men – was married to Australian singer Erica Packer for six years before getting engaged to Mariah Carey. This fellow Australian is a model and vocalist who debuted in 2001 with the song "Dreams."
2001 was also the year in which she began dating the billionaire. The two married in 2007 and are the parents of three children. After just six years of marriage, Erica and James had to go their own ways. Erica went on to date Enrique Martinez Celaya, a Cuban artist, and the two are currently engaged.
Ameera Al-Taweel and Prince Al-waleed bin Talal
Saudi businessman and royal family member Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has a net worth of $16 billion. He married Ameera Al-Taweel, but their union lasted only five years. The pair called it quits in 2013. Silatech's board of trustees includes Princess Ameerah. She has now established herself as a philanthropist and Vice-Chairperson of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation.
Ameera is most famous for being the ex-wife of the Saudi Prince, Al-Waleed bin Talal. However, she has not let that hold her back in the slightest. The Emirati billionaire Khalifa bin Butti al Muhairi, whom she married in 2018, was thrilled to have her as his second wife.
Susan Dell and Michael Dell
CEO and founder of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell, has a $23.5 billion net worth. He married his longtime partner Susan in 1989. The pair went on to have four children, all of whom live in Austin, Texas.
One of the world's major computer manufacturers, Dell is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, of which she serves as vice-president, is owned by the couple. By providing free medical care and quality education to children in need all across the world, this organization strives to alleviate poverty for future generations.