Billionaire David Geffen files for divorce from David Armstrong amid financial disputes

He's helped put together some of the greatest music and movie blockbusters of our time, but now David Geffen is caught up in a messy divorce from his young husband, David Armstrong.

The Hollywood billionaire filed for divorce in June, citing "irreconcilable differences".

So desperate is the 82-year-old to end the marriage that lasted less than two years that he is willing to fork out $50,000 (around R873 000) in spousal monthly support to the former go-go dancer and personal trainer.

But that's not all

Geffen wants this to last for just 12 months, and wants credit for all the other gifts of jewellery, cash, and plush accommodation to be taken into consideration.

Geffen, who has a net worth of over $9.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, landed at number 348 on the list of the world's wealthiest people in May this year.

According to "TMZ", the dancer, 32, reportedly claimed the music executive had promised to provide for him financially for the remainder of his life, although the mogul disputed the claims and said the allegations were part of a shakedown.

Part of the problem for Armstrong is that they never signed a prenuptial agreement, an issue Geffen's lawyer, Laura Wasser, is using in the high-stakes divorce. Armstrong may not have a claim to Geffen's pre-marital wealth under California law.

Trading Places

'Variety" reported that in court papers, Armstrong said the nine-year relationship that culminated in two years of marriage mirrored the plotline of “Trading Places”, with a “young vulnerable black man, orphaned as a toddler” drawn into the web of “an exploiter, masquerading as a white knight while hiding behind wealth, philanthropy and fame”.

"TMZ" further reports that court filings reveal Geffen has already shelled out $200,000 in cash since their February split, another $200,000 for rehab, plus the keys to a $15,000-a-month Manhattan pad rent-free.

Geffen came out as gay in 1992 after years of being linked to a string of well-known women, including Cher. He once owned the Werner Estate in Beverly Hills, which he sold to Jeff Bezos in 2020 for $165 million. 

In 2012, he broke up a relationship with a much younger man after being together for six years, before dating a 20-year-old former college football player.

The mogul also co-founded the label Asylum Records in 1971, before he founded Geffen Records and DGC Records, releasing the works of Elton John, Cher, Aerosmith, Blink-182, Guns N' Roses, and Nirvana.

His motion picture company, Geffen Pictures, also produced a handful of films and TV shows, including "Personal Best", "Beetlejuice", "Interview with the Vampire" and "Little Shop of Horrors".

In 1994, he co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg.