A 36-year-old Swedish countess divorcing a former CEO says she cannot live on $43 million

[marmar]

vis SFGate:



Wife divorcing ex-CEO: $43 million not enough
By DAVE COLLINS, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, March 18, 2009


Hartford, Conn. (AP) -- A 36-year-old Swedish countess divorcing a former CEO says she cannot live on $43 million.

Marie Douglas-David, a former investment banker, says she has no income and needs her 67-year-old husband, George David, to pay her more than $53,000 a week — more than most U.S. households make in a year — to cover her expenses.

David stepped down last year as chief executive at Hartford-based United Technologies Corp. but is still chairman of the board and has an estimated net worth of $329 million. He and his wife accuse each other of extramarital affairs. Their divorce trial started Wednesday.

"I'm just very sad that we are where we are," Douglas-David said. "I hope we resolve this soon so everybody can move on with their lives."

David briefly took the stand Wednesday. Asked if his marriage is irretrievably broken, he simply answered, "Yes." .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/18/financial/f100259D09.DTL

[Joanne98]

1. File this under toxic wife!

[JerseygirlCT]

59. Second wife

He dumped the first - after she helped him build his career and raised his kids.

He's no prize, either.

[Philosoraptor]

2. Me neither marmar, meeeee neither

[YOY]

3. 43 Million a year total and about 3 million a year.

Still ridiculous.

[Wickerman]

4. I couldn't live with myself, either n/t

[originalpckelly]

5. In an interview she was asked how she felt about the downturn, she replied, "Let them eat cake!"

[hobbit709]

6. There's a word for that but it's not PC here.

That's nothing but greed.

[GoesTo11]

7. This is one example of why giving a CEO hundreds of millions is bad

All that money makes people not respect money, not understand how a person should live and what's just ostentatious spending. No comment on their marriage, but her view toward NEEDING more than $43 million is no different than the CEOs needing their $200M golden parachute, the hedge fund managers needing their $1bn per year, etc. Appetite for money is unlimited, so if there is nothing stopping them, people in positions to do so will eat all of society's seed corn.

[TahitiNut]

8. Wow. Talk about "high maintenance"!!

Fucking maggots! :puke:

[supernova]

9. She's obviously driven by punishment

Nobody needs $43mil,

I don't think I could spend $50K/month if I tried really, really, really, really, really hard.

[TahitiNut]

14. Gee... she's a "countess".

This is just one of the millions of reasons I've said that the Bolsheviks dealt with "royalty" properly.

Yechh. :puke:


She 'marries' a guy 30 years older than herself (like his money didn't matter, huh) less than 7 years ago and engages in "he said she said" accusations of infidelity.

It's simple. She's a VERY expensive whore.

[Sonicmedusa]

16. On that same token

He is a very high-paying "john" and it is time to leave that money on the dresser.

How very one-sided to blame the woman for only HER greed.

[TahitiNut]

19. Yeah ... 'cause everyone knows it's the guy's fault.

:eyes:

Yup. Poor girl. No income. Life's so unfair. :puke:

[Sonicmedusa]

32. Who the hell said anything about it being the guys fault???

You called the woman a prostitute. So what does that make poor, long-suffering George David?

Sorry, the dude got what he paid for. He was married to his first wife, his high-school sweetheart, for 40+ years. But an aging, saging, old woman just does not do for a man who is raking in 27 million dollars a year. You need arm candy for that.

[TahitiNut]

38. The cad! He's at fault for wronging TWO women! The horror!

Everyone knows that when a marriage fails it's the guy's fault! TWICE!! Clearly, no one need know anything more. It's obvious. He's at fault! :eyes: It's clearly a Wolf vs. Little Red Riding Hood story. How DARE he only offer her a measly $43 million??!? Such a piddling sum is an insult to all women!

:puke:

[Sonicmedusa]

44. Okay, you win...It is all the guy's fault.

I accept your apology.

Drama queen much?

[JerseygirlCT]

64. He bears at least half the responsibility here

and knowing he threw over his first wife doesn't help add to any sympathy for him.

[anigbrowl]

69. Oh goody, now we have an excuse to put down whores

The amount of money (and method) she's asking for is ridiculous, but I have no problem with the fundamental principle. Her banker hubby may have done very well out of networking with her social circle, which probably includes a bunch of high powered investors and bankers in Sweden. There's nothing wrong with marriage as a business arrangement if both parties enter into it with that understanding. Just think of it as a chapter 11 negotiation, and keep your moralism to yourself.

[aquart]

56. Oh, I could.

I'd have to shop full retail, of course.

[JTFrog]

10. Someone needs a time out in the Total Perspective Vortex. n/t

[regnaD kciN]

11. Dear Countess...

If you can't live on $43 million, give it to me...or, for that matter, give me 10% of it. Rest assured that I'd be able to live quite happily on that for the rest of my life, and my children could do the same.

:eyes:

[Donnachaidh]

12. wow -- wife labeled skank but not a negative word about the husband?

Could it possibly be that the dirty old man brought at least SOME of this shitstorm on himself?

Or does he just require a *pat on the back* for being such a p**nhound at age 67?

Personally, I think they DESERVE each other.

[supernova]

13. There is that

These CEO geezers don't get to be CEO geezers by being teddy bears.

I'm sure he's no prize in the sharing a home dept.

[NashVegas]

54. See

#46

[JerseygirlCT]

60. He brought PLENTY on himself

Remember, this is his second go-round. His first wife was dumped after she'd helped him with his career, and raised their kids.

This was his much younger "trophy" wife - and he scored a countess to boot! What better companion to all those high-powered get-togethers? Who wants a regular old wife when you can have a countess? So he got exactly what he was looking for.

Is she behaving badly, too? You betcha.

But the sort of money she's asking for gets less outrageous maybe compared to the sort of money he has.

[Sonicmedusa]

15. This "recession" is hitting the trophy wives pretty hard.

I hope she gets every cent she "needs". Poor dear.

[rolltideroll]

17. She did the same thing to Destro.

[Marr]

49. Hahaha

:D

[Blue_Tires]

18. wow i heard Swedish women could be high maintenance, but not like THAT!

[underpants]

22. punchline to an old joke "Honey we've established what you are, now we are just negotiating price"

[rolltideroll]

27. True Story

Coolidge said it to a woman at a state dinner. Ahh,the good ole days.

[TayTay]

28. George Bernard Shaw said it

George Bernard Shaw once found himself at a dinner party, seated beside an attractive woman. "Madam," he asked, "would you go to bed with me for a thousand pounds?" The woman blushed and rather indignantly shook her head.

"For ten thousand pounds?" he asked. "No. I would not." "Then how about fifty thousand pounds?" he contined.

The colossal sum gave the woman pause, and after further reflection, she coyly replied: "Perhaps." "And if I were to offer you five pounds?" Shaw asked.

"Mr. Shaw!" the woman exclaimed. "What do you take me for!" "We have already established what you are," Shaw calmly replied. "Now we are merely haggling over the price."

http://winterpatriot.blogspot.com/2005/01/whats-your-price.html

[underpants]

31. Thanks

:bounce:

[rolltideroll]

33. I stand corrected

Your right. I am leaving myoriginal post unedited as a lesson in researching what I post.

[TayTay]

36. no problem

I just happen to be a fan of GB Shaw. His quotes are often taken by others. I think it's because he was just so good.

Shaw said this, often attributed to another: "“You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'”" And, there is no harm in this.

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/you_see_things-and_you_say--why-but_i_dream/13471.html

Minor point, but I felt like a trivial quibble this morning. You abide it with grace. Thanks!

[Jennicut]

20. I am ashamed these people are from CT. He was head of United Technologies here.

Check out her weekly expenses:$700 for limousine service, $4,500 for clothes, $1,000 for hair and skin treatments, $1,500 for restaurants and entertainment, and $8,000 for travel.

Wow. Quite the life.

[JerseygirlCT]

65. He's still chairman of the board, I believe

And check out HIS weekly expenses - they make hers look modest in comparison.

[aikoaiko]

21. When you married a countess you should expect to pony up the dough.

Sorry, mr CEO, you play, you pay.

[Blue_Tires]

26. well, it was her who signed the agreement

i suggest she take her $43 mil and run...(and change her name and face lest she scare off future suitors):bounce: :crazy: :scared:

[NashVegas]

53. Agreed

No one thinks he married her and went to the Queen of England's birthday party, because he thinks Liz's such a great broad and wanted to pay his respects, do they?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. One cannot be truly comforable without erimine lined toilet paper.

[arcadian]

24. This is why we need re-education camps.

:sarcasm:

[Hannah Bell]

25. & this is only one unimportant, fairly low profile, very wealthy woman.

the cut in your wages over the last 30 years is paying for her clothes & pedicures, & all the rest of those like her.

[WI_DEM]

29. well start waiting tables or something to supplement your income.

[L0oniX]

30. Better cut back on the Grey Poupon. n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

34. I wonder if she knows or cares that HALF THE WORLD'S POPULATION LIVES ON LESS THAN $3/day?

What a greed pig!

[Javaman]

35. Read my sig. nt

[sweetpotato]

37. When I was working for a divorce attorney

I couldn't believe what people would present as their budgets.

The attorney I worked for (had a rep as a pit-bull divorce attorney) gave her clients a long list of "possible expenses" that they probably have, but haven't thought to claim on their financial declaration. The attorney would insist that it all be put in the declaration - even if they buy fresh flowers once a week - that's the lifestyle that is supposed to be maintained.

And we were always told to remember - the court cannot grant it to you if you don't ask for it.

And my favorite quote from Gone With The Wind - "asking ain't gettin."

[DS1]

39. maybe she can shack up with Heather Mills

[SOS]

40. She spends $28,000 a month on hair care, clothes and restaurants

while millions lose their jobs, health insurance, homes and retirement funds.

There is something fundamentally wrong with our country.

[NashVegas]

41. At Least She's Keeping People Employed ...

:evilgrin:

[Amaya]

42. After 4 years of marriage

"She's asking to be awarded about $100 million in cash and stock, plus $130,000 a month in alimony."

:wtf: ??

[cliffordu]

43. Why just yesterday I was telling Raoul my cabana boy this very same thing.....

Most people just don't know what it's like to live on almost nothing....

[SOS]

45. Please don't pay Raoul more than $8 an hour (no benefits)

You don't want to spoil him.
Next thing you know, your sous chef will want a vacation day or some other crazy luxury.

[cliffordu]

52. I fired my sous chef the other day for stealing leftovers!!!

Can you believe it??? The NERVE of some people.

[NashVegas]

46. It Gets Even Better! Check Out HIS Weekly Expenses:

http://www.courant.com/features/columnists/hc-shea1220.artdec20,0,3275915.column

[Vinca]

47. Only $71 for wine? What a cheapskate.

:rofl:

[NashVegas]

48. OMG! I Had the Exact Same Thought

He must not have discovered what *really* *good* cabernet tastes like.

[Marr]

51. I'd bet you anything you like that that "charity" was something

he either profits from monetarily, or is more of a club for his social class, like some kind of wine club or greens fees.

[leftofthedial]

50. she needs a serious attitude adjustment

[CreekDog]

55. I can't live on 43 million

mainly because i can't get 43 million.

but maybe that's a different problem. :D

[Starbucks Anarchist]

63. If you glued $43 million together, I could live *in* it.

[dflprincess]

57. That's what happens when you're brought up in a Socialist country

you decide there is no such thing as "enough". :sarcasm:

I gather she has been living in the U.S. too long.

[JerseygirlCT]

62. Check out HIS weekly expenses - #46 nt

[NewJeffCT]

58. Umm, I don't think George David is innocent in this situation, either

He is accused of affairs and being an overall shitty husband, if I recall.

[JerseygirlCT]

61. Yup

(Good to see you again, Jeff!)

He's definitely no prize. As I'm sure his first wife would attest!

[NewJeffCT]

66. and, he was always whining

about how having unions and the like made CT too expensive a place to do business... meanwhile, he went to Canada to lobby the Canadian gov't to strengthen their universal health care system so he could open more factories there.

[JerseygirlCT]

68. Yeah,

I'm not finding a whole lot about him that makes him seem all warm and fuzzy to me.

[Ezlivin]

67. She NEEDS that money to stay attractive

Otherwise she'd quickly lapse into her normal appearance.

[Donnachaidh]

71. err, considering HIS weekly expenses and his looks -- what's HIS excuse? n/t

[killbotfactory]

70. If only that were true

and we could put her claims to the test