Billionaire divorce heads to negotiating table instead of court

Wife wants $1M monthly in divorce
Wife wants $1M monthly in divorce

The widely-followed divorce battle between billionaire hedge fund star Ken Griffin and his wife Anne Dias Griffin may not go to trial after all.

The power couple entered into settlement talks on Monday, according to the office of presiding Judge Grace Dickler.

A public trial could be messy for Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of the $24 billion Citadel hedge fund empire in Chicago. After 11 years of marriage, the billionaire filed for divorce in July 2014.

Court documents have already generated unwanted headlines about the couple's finances. Earlier this year Anne Dias Griffin demanded $1 million in monthly expenses, which includes $300,000 for the use of a private jet, $160,000 for hotels and $2,000 in stationery costs.

The divorce trial had been slated to kick off in a Chicago courtroom on Monday, but instead the two sides returned to the negotiating table. The trial -- which would have determined the validity of the couple's prenuptial agreement -- has been postponed until Wednesday morning.

griffin monthly budget

Related: This billionaire's wife wants $1 million a month after divorce

Anne Dias Griffin has argued the pre-nup should be thrown out because she was coerced into signing it. Ken Griffin's lawyers have argued the agreement should stand.

In addition to the prenuptial agreement, the trial is expected to cover child support and custody for the couple's three children.

Ken Griffin divorce

Neither side's lawyers responded to requests for comment from CNNMoney.

As CEO of Citadel, Ken Griffin raked in $950 million in 2013. That made him the fifth highest paid hedge fund manager, according to Institutional Investor's Alpha. The billionaire made $3.9 billion between 2009 and 2013, according to Alpha.

Citadel launched in 1990 and today the massive hedge fund uses sophisticated technology that signal when to buy or sell stocks. While many hedge funds have struggled in recent years, Citadel's big funds outperformed the broader markets in 2014.

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