Laura Overdeck, the former wife of billionaire hedge fund manager John Overdeck, is seeking 35% of his stake in Two Sigma Investments, with her legal team valuing the requested share at about $6.2 billion.
The demand was made as the couple’s high-profile divorce case opened in a Newark courtroom, with lawyers for both sides presenting sharply different positions over how the billionaire’s fortune should be divided.
Laura is also seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds and equal control of the family foundation.
Her lawyers argue that Two Sigma’s substantial growth during the couple’s marriage should entitle her to a significant share of the company.
“Two Sigma had little tangible value when the parties married,” Laura’s legal team argued, maintaining that the business expanded considerably during their years together.
John’s lawyers have disputed the claim, stressing that Two Sigma was founded in 2000, two years before the couple married in 2002.
They argue that the investment firm was already an established business before the marriage and should therefore not be treated entirely as a marital asset.
Another major disagreement concerns John’s proposed settlement. Laura’s lawyers say he offered about $633 million, which they characterised as an attempt to minimise her share.
His attorney, however, rejected that description and said the offer was actually a $723 million tax-free equitable settlement.
“This is an equitable settlement,” John’s legal team argued, disputing the suggestion that he was attempting to deprive his former wife of a fair share.
The couple reportedly married without a prenuptial agreement and began divorce proceedings in 2022. The case has since developed into what has been described as the largest contested divorce proceeding in New Jersey history.
John Overdeck, whose fortune is estimated at about $8 billion by Forbes, co-founded Two Sigma with David Siegel. The two reportedly own roughly equal stakes in the company and have also been involved in a highly publicised power struggle over the firm.
Laura, who has a background in hedge funds, founded the Bedtime Math nonprofit in 2012. She is also suing Seward & Kissel, her husband’s former estate law firm, alleging that it assisted him in shielding assets.
The court will now determine how much of Overdeck’s wealth can be considered marital property and what portion Laura is entitled to receive.