Draft figures. All numbers are placeholders for layout and are not final.
Erobella Research
London

Evening Sale

The Most Expensive Affair in History

Six lots of private conduct, catalogued at their public cost.

Sale number
1109
Date
Monday 9 November 2026
Lots
1 to 6
Auctioneer
Erobella Research, London

Each lot is an affair or sex scandal, offered with its verified cost to the people involved, their shareholders or the public purse, restated in 2026 US dollars.

Order of sale

  1. 1Jensen Huang, 2026US$199bn
  2. 2Jeff Bezos, 2019US$47bn
  3. 3Tiger Woods, 2009US$18bn
  4. 4Alec Wildenstein, 1999US$4.9bn
  5. 5Steve Easterbrook, 2019US$124m
  6. 6John Profumo, 1963Withdrawn
Lot1

Jensen Huang

Nvidia Corporation, Santa Clara, 2026

Provenance. Co-founder and chief executive of Nvidia. On 9 November 2026 Mr Huang acknowledged an extramarital affair. The figure given is the fall in Nvidia's market capitalisation over the session that followed, measured from the previous close. It will be confirmed at the close of trading.

EstimateUS$150bn to US$270bn
Hammer price US$199bn Approximately £153bn Provisional
Lot2

Jeff Bezos

Amazon, Seattle, 2019

Provenance. Founder of Amazon. Following the disclosure of his relationship with Lauren Sánchez in January 2019, Mr Bezos and MacKenzie Scott divorced. Under the settlement Ms Scott received 25 per cent of his Amazon stake, valued at approximately US$38bn on the day of transfer.

EstimateUS$38bn at settlement
Hammer price US$47bn Approximately £36bn In 2026 dollars
Lot3

Tiger Woods

Windermere, Florida, 2009

Provenance. Professional golfer. A car accident outside his home in November 2009 was followed by reports of several affairs. Economists at the University of California, Davis estimated the loss to shareholders in his sponsors over the following weeks. Sponsorship income of approximately US$22m a year was also lost.

EstimateUS$7.5bn to US$18bn
Hammer price US$18bn Approximately £13.8bn Upper figure of the UC Davis study, in 2026 dollars
Lot4

Alec Wildenstein

New York, 1999

Provenance. Art dealer and heir to the Wildenstein gallery fortune. His divorce from Jocelyn Wildenstein, which followed his affair, concluded in New York in 1999. She was reported to have received US$2.5bn, with a further US$100m a year.

EstimateUS$2.5bn, as reported
Hammer price US$4.9bn Approximately £3.8bn Lump sum in 2026 dollars, plus US$100m a year
Lot5

Steve Easterbrook

McDonald's Corporation, Chicago, 2019

Provenance. Chief executive of McDonald's. Dismissed in November 2019 over a consensual relationship with an employee. The company later sued to recover his severance, and in December 2021 he returned cash and equity valued at US$105m.

EstimateUS$105m returned
Hammer price US$124m Approximately £95m In 2026 dollars
Lot6

John Profumo

Westminster, 1963

Provenance. Secretary of State for War. In 1963 it emerged that he had had an affair with Christine Keeler, and that he had misled the House of Commons about it. He resigned in June 1963. Harold Macmillan resigned as Prime Minister that October.

EstimateOn request
Hammer price Withdrawn Lost office. No hard figure.

Conditions of sale

How the figures in this catalogue were arrived at.

  1. The hammer price is the verified cost of the affair or scandal, to the individual, their shareholders or the public purse, as recorded in court filings, company accounts or peer-reviewed research.
  2. Where published figures disagree, the estimate shows the full range and the hammer price shows the figure we consider best supported.
  3. Historic figures are restated in 2026 US dollars using the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
  4. Sterling equivalents use an exchange rate of US$1.30 to £1, as at 9 November 2026.
  5. Market value losses are measured from the last close before disclosure.
  6. NHS England spending is taken as £192bn a year, or £526m a day. GDP comparisons use IMF figures for 2025.
  7. The UK average escort rate of £105 an hour is drawn from Erobella listings.