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Facebook founder weds: was there a prenup?

On Behalf of | Jun 5, 2012 | High-Asset Divorce

With the initial public offering of Facebook having come and gone, founder Mark Zuckerberg is certainly all the more wealthy, regardless of how the stock has performed in its first days. He and his long-time girlfriend married the day after the company went public, and some divorce lawyers are saying this is a particularly advantageous move for him if the marriage ever dissolves.

Considering the amount of wealth Zuckerberg now has, the dissolution of his marriage would certainly be considered a High Asset divorce. Much of his wealth is currently in company stocks, but it is likely that he and his new wife have signed a prenuptial agreement, ensuring an agreed-upon division of property pending the end of their relationship.

If no prenuptial agreement was signed by the couple, Zuckerberg could lose a hefty chunk of the approximately $20 billion he holds in Facebook stock, as well as many assets the couple currently has in their possession. Even if the two were not married, their long-term relationship could have resulted in claims of pooled resources and efforts. In the state of California — where the couple has resided for years — receiving benefits similar to that of a divorce is possible if such a claim is made.

The timing of the marriage likely caused some consideration toward a prenuptial agreement. Though there is no guarantee that the couple signed such an agreement, experts believe that if the couple wed during their earlier years, the consideration of a prenuptial agreement would have been less likely.

Source: NDTV Profit, “Facebook founder Zuckerberg’s post-IPO wedding is smart legal move,” May 21, 2012

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