British media reported on October 7 that after 21 years of marriage to billionaire husband Ernesto Bertalelli, 50-year-old former Miss Britain, Costa Bertale, divorced her husband peacefully this summer. As a result, Kirsti allegedly received £350 million (about $480 million) in damages from Ernesto, thus reporting that he was the richest divorcee in britain.
Britain's Daily Mail said the couple did not disclose the amount of compensation for Costy, but Costy has agreed to accept 350 million pounds (about $480 million) in damages. That would make her the richest divorcee in British legal history, just a little less than the estimated fortune of 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II of about £365 million (about $500 million). But it surpassed pop superstar Mick Jagger's £310 million ($420 million), Ed Sheeran's £220 million (about $300 million) and Adele's £140 million (about $190 million).
In addition to the property, Kirsti also received a modern home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, which was purchased this year for £52 million (about $70 million). She also owns a £8 million (about $100 million) log cabin in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad.
The couple, who have three children, have separated this year and agreed to divorce this summer. Their spokesman told the media that Ernesto and Costi were sad to confirm that they were divorced. It was a shared decision and they broke up peacefully. All the problems arising from the divorce have been resolved and they hope to respect the privacy of the whole family now.
Curtis and prominent biopharmaceutical maker Ernesto tied for 14th place on this year's Sunday Times rich list, worth around £9.2 billion ($12.5 billion). Curtis is believed to have signed a prenuptial agreement before marrying the Italian-born Ernesto in 2000. So, as a friend of Curtis's told the Daily Mail, "The settlement agreement was too generous." They don't want a protracted lawsuit in Switzerland. ”
Kirsty was born in Stonetown, Stave, England, to a wealthy family, behind one of the world's largest manufacturers of ceramic products, Churchill China in Stoke-on-Trent. After moving to London, she partyed with socialites such as Elizabeth Hurley and Tamara Beckwith. At a dinner in Sardinia, she met 56-year-old biotech tycoon Ernesto and has since become one of the super-rich.
Prior to that, Curtis won the Miss Uk Award in 1988 and was runners-up in that year's Miss World contest. She later became a successful pop singer and songwriter, collaborating on the 2000 world-winning single "Black Coffee". In 2010, Curtis released his first music album in Switzerland, which is said to have not only made it into the top 20 of iTunes in Switzerland, but one of the songs was also selected as a WWF song.