Lawsuits are not cheap, no matter how simple they may seem. However, lawsuits involving billion-dollar companies or millionaires tend to be extremely expensive. That’s because much money is at stake, and the case itself is usually complex. In this post, we’ve gone back in time to bring you the most expensive lawsuits ever.
1. The Tobacco $206 Billion Settlement
This class action lawsuit was filed against the four largest tobacco companies in the US: RJ Reynolds, Philip Morris, Lorillard, and Brown & Williamson. It was filed in 1998 by attorney generals from all the 46 states. They aimed to get compensation for the treatment of tobacco-related illnesses by the state healthcare system; these four companies were forced to part with $206 billion.
They were also asked to withdraw various marketing campaigns and sponsor anti-smoking campaigns. The big settlement was a huge win for the anti-smoking community, and it has changed the entire industry to date.
2. The MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos $38.3B Divorce
After being married for 25 years, MacKenzie Scott filed for divorce from Jeff Bezos in 2022. The divorce saw to it that Jeff Bezos transferred $38.3 billion worth of Amazon shares to MacKenzie Scott. Interestingly, this did not leave Bezos bankrupt. On the contrary, he remains one of the wealthiest people on earth, with an estimated net worth of $197 billion.
3. The $26 Billion Opioid Lawsuit
In a fight to end the opioid crisis in America, four companies were asked to pay $26 billion in settlements for the adverse effects of this medication. Johnson & Johnson was asked to pay $5 billion, whereas McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen would pay a total of $21 billion. This settlement aims to resolve hundreds of lawsuits that were fined as early as 2014.
4. The $20 Billion BP Gulf Mexico Oil Spill
In 2010, Deepwater Horizon dropped a massive oil spill on the Gulf Coast. This led to a class action suit that was filed in New Orleans. The judge ordered BP to pay a settlement of $20 billion that would be paid to both private and public entities.
This settlement was so high because of the federal penalties for spilling massive amounts of oil into the ocean. It was divided amongst state and local governments as well as victims of the spill, such as cancer patients.
5. The $14.7 Billion Volkswagen Emissions Scandal
On September 18, 2015, Volkswagen was found guilty of violating the EPA’s emissions regulations. The company was intentionally fitting emission control to engines that were undergoing testing. However, this was not applied to the cars sold on the market.
From 2009 to 2015, Volkswagen cars produced 40 times more emissions than the ones that passed the test. It is believed that the emissions released by Volkswagen cars caused up to 350 deaths while leaving many more with conditions such as bronchitis and asthma – Volkswagen was handed a $14.7 billion fine.
6. The $8.3 Billion Purdue Pharma Lawsuit
Still on opioids, in 2020, Purdue Pharma was handed an $8.344 billion fine, which was divided into $3.544 billion for criminal penalties, $2.8 billion for civil liabilities, and $2 billion for criminal forfeiture. This scandal was best portrayed in the series “Dopesick”, where Micheal Keaton plays a doctor who falls for Purdue Pharma’s marketing to prescribe the medication to patients. The drugs involved in the lawsuit included Hysingla, Butrans, and OxyContin.
7. The Bill and Melinda Gates $6 Billion Divorce
In May 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates made a press statement on Twitter declaring their divorce. After 27 years of marriage, the couple split up leading to an estimated settlement of $6 billion to Melinda Gates, as the exact figure was kept confidential. This divorce was a surprise because Bill and Melinda had invested so heavily in philanthropy that Bill had to be removed from the list of the wealthiest people on earth.
8. The $4.9 Billion General Motors Fuel Tank Case
In 1999, a Los Angeles jury ordered General Motors to pay $4.9 billion to a family of six that suffered severe burns in a trapped car. According to the lawsuit, General Motors’ fault was the improper placement of the gas tank. If it had been placed correctly, the victims wouldn’t have endured severe burns.
The initial verdict was for General Motors to pay $107 million. However, after fraudulently interfering with the case, the fine was escalated to $4.9 billion. It was later reduced to $1.2 billion.
9. The $4.69 Billion Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer
Johnson & Johnson, a multinational corporation, has been involved in many lawsuits. In this particular one, their talc-based baby powder was discovered to contain cancer-causing asbestos. This information was known by Johnson & Johnson, and they intentionally did not disclose it to the public.
As a result, they were asked to pay 22 women a settlement of $4.69 billion. The women claimed that the powder had inflicted them with Ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson filed an appeal reducing the settlement to $2.12 billion.
10. The $3 Billion GlaxoSmithKline Settlement
GlaxoSmithKline, a manufacturer of prescription drugs, was charged with unlawfully promoting prescription drugs, giving kickbacks to physicians for prescribing their medication, and failing to include sensitive information. This resulted in a lawsuit settlement of $3 billion in 2012 for forfeiture, civil liabilities, and criminal fines.
11. The Rupert Murdoch and Anna Maria $1.7 Billion Divorce
Unlike Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch didn’t get his money from tech; he invested in media and grew the NewsCorp company. When he ended the marriage, he paid Anna $1.7 billion in assets and more than $100 million in cash. Rupert Murdoch had married Anna Maria for 31 years and 17 days after their divorce, he married his third ex-wife, Wendi Deng.