Adnan Khashoggi & Soraya: The $900 Million Record-Setter of the 1980s

What Happened

Adnan Khashoggi was the world’s most famous arms dealer — a Saudi billionaire whose extravagant lifestyle was legendary even by 1980s standards. He owned the world’s largest yacht (the Nabila, later bought by Donald Trump), a 180,000-acre ranch in Kenya, a dozen homes worldwide, and maintained a personal staff of hundreds. His British-born wife Soraya (née Sandra Daly, who converted to Islam) shared this lifestyle for 20 years.

When Soraya filed for divorce in 1982, she claimed $2.5 billion — an amount so staggering it seemed absurd at the time. Her legal team’s strategy centered on documenting the couple’s extraordinary lifestyle in granular detail: the private jets, the 50-person entourage, the parties that cost millions, the jewelry collection, the art. Every receipt, every flight, every party became evidence of the marital standard of living.

Khashoggi’s defense team argued that his wealth was tied up in illiquid business deals (arms commissions from Saudi government contracts) and that liquid assets were far less than claimed. The case dragged through courts in multiple jurisdictions including London and Geneva. His financial structure was deliberately opaque, with wealth flowing through a network of companies and trusts.

The settlement, finalized after years of litigation, was reported at approximately $900 million — less than Soraya’s claim but still the largest divorce settlement in history at that time. The figure remained the record until the Abramovich and Bezos divorces decades later. The case established the principle that a spouse’s demonstrated standard of living is powerful evidence in determining settlement amounts.

Legal Breakdown: Lifestyle Evidence in Divorce

What This Means for Your Divorce