Marie Douglas-David is filing for divorce from her husband of six years, United Technologies chairman George David, and she needs, according to her lawyer, to be kept in the style to which she became accustomed. Her expenses add up to $53,000 per week, the affidavit she filed with the court says, and perhaps because that is a stunning and improbable amount, she and her lawyers broke down the expenses so that everyone can better understand why she needs this:
Mortgage and maintenance fees and rent for the Park Avenue penthouse, the Hamptons retreat and properties in Sweden account for $27,300 a week, according to a financial affidavit she filed with the court. And then there’s travel ($8,000), clothing ($4,500), a personal assistant ($2,209), horse care ($1,570), domestic help ($1,480), entertainment and restaurants ($1,500), health and skin care ($1,000), dry cleaning ($650), flowers ($600) and a trainer ($250).
The Post is all over it, naturally, pointing out that that is more than most people’s regular incomes, etc. And you have to admit it is pretty insane: $8,000 a week on travel? What does she do, travel around Manhattan by helicopter? But look, we don’t want to judge how much money lady is burning through. We appreciate that sometimes, things happen in a marriage, and you need to Hit ‘Em Up Style. Our issue is, why did she admit she spent that much?
This lady is a former banker — she’s not dumb. You’d think that in this day and age, a woman and would be savvy enough to know this stuff is going to end up in the papers. You’d think that her lawyers, at least, would be aware that the appearance of “flowers” on any such list is guaranteed to make their client look like a crazy person, even when there’s not a recession on. San Francisco socialite Pat Montandon was a laughingstock after her affidavit hit the papers back in the eighties, and then again a couple of years ago, when her son, Sean Wilsey, repeated it in his memoir, Oh the Glory of It All:
“$2,500 a month on travel ($4,800 according to one paper); the same on clothes; $50 for firewood; $300 in symphony and opera tickets; another $50 for glasses (she was always losing them); $500 for an allergist; $500 for flowers (casual, everyday flowers — there was a whole separate ‘entertaining’ figure).”
Didn’t anyone learn anything from the excesses of the eighties? Apparently not. So, here’s a tip, future ex-wives of rich men: You want to cheat a little on these things. You know, like some people do on their taxes (EXCEPT US, IRS!). For instance: Flowers = “office supplies.” Health and skin care = “puppy food.” Travel = “between New York and Calcutta.” Horse care = “donations to horse orphanage.” And so on. Think of it as more like a white lie than a lie-lie. Because really, it’s better for everyone not to know how much you spend on pedicures.
REALLY HIGH MAINTENANCE [NYP]
Related: New York’s Greatest Divorces
