So many real-life celebrity happenings end up as television movies or mini-series dramas, and a gambler likely would not bet against the odds of that happening regarding the long-running divorce battle of former Yahoo president Susan Decker and Michael Dovey, her ex-husband.
In what has been termed “the seamy side of Silicon Valley,” the divorce drama that has played out prominently for several years finally arrived at a settlement last week. The longstanding dispute has been marked by incendiary personal accusations and high-asset property division issues. The settlement was reached just prior to a scheduled trial in the case.
The couple was married for 15 years and has three children. Decker became Yahoo’s president in 2007 and, in that same year, filed for divorce from Dovey. She resigned her position in 2009.
What brought the couple’s divorce dispute to glaring public light was the leaking of a confidential letter from Dovey’s legal team alleging a number of personal improprieties on Decker’s part during the couple’s marriage. Similar accusations had been made earlier against Dovey.
As expected, given Decker’s position and Dovey’s long-time position as an investment banker, the realty holdings of the couple are substantial and were contested vigorously during the divorce proceedings.
Those properties include, among other investments, the following: a home in Marin County overlooking San Francisco Bay; a condo in Laguna Beach worth an estimated $6 million; two condos in Lake Tahoe; and land in the California wine region of Napa worth more than $1 million.
All of those properties were held mortgage-free.
Source: Bloomberg, “Ex-Yahoo president settles divorce after long tiff,” April 23, 2012