A New Jersey judge has dismissed the divorce complaint of Laura Overdeck, the estranged wife of hedge fund manager John Overdeck, after finding she engaged in multiple "discovery abuses," including hacking her husband's emails. The ruling bars Laura Overdeck from testifying or presenting affirmative evidence in what is reportedly the largest contested divorce in the state's history.
John Overdeck, whose net worth is estimated at $8 billion according to Forbes, is expected to testify in the proceedings. The couple, both 56, appeared before the New Jersey Family Court last week. Laura Overdeck had previously rejected a $633 million settlement offer from her husband.
According to court proceedings, Laura Overdeck accessed her husband's private computer and took photos of confidential emails between John Overdeck and his legal team. She was ordered to surrender the device containing these images, but allegedly failed to do so for at least 13 months. When the device was eventually handed over, the photographs had been deleted, with Laura Overdeck claiming a lack of phone storage as the reason for their removal. She also reportedly obtained an extra key to John Overdeck's P.O. box to access his mail.
Judge Bruce Buechler described his decision as the "ultimate sanction." As a result, Laura Overdeck's legal team will need to rely on cross-examination to make their case. The court still requires the couple's assets to be equitably distributed.
Laura Overdeck's lawyers have argued that John Overdeck "methodically and strategically" worked for decades to shield his wealth in anticipation of a divorce, aiming to minimize her share. They claim he "schemed" to leave her with significantly less than her asserted entitlement, which they put at $633 million.
In contrast, John Overdeck's lawyers have stated he is prepared to offer his wife $723 million in tax-free cash. The primary dispute centers on Laura Overdeck's claim to a larger share of John Overdeck's stake in his firm, Two Sigma. Her lawyers assert this stake is worth $6.2 billion, while his lawyers claim it is valued at $4.9 billion. John Overdeck's legal team argues that Two Sigma is not a marital asset, as it was founded two years prior to the couple's marriage in 2002.
John Overdeck's lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, stated that Two Sigma had significant operations and managed hundreds of millions of dollars before the marriage. However, Laura's lawyer, Therese Lyons, countered that the firm was merely a concept at that time and only began trading after the couple wed. She accused John Overdeck of "working tirelessly" to hide assets and of orchestrating a "scheme" to reduce their marital estate.
Wolfe added that John Overdeck earned $685 million during the marriage, all of which was deposited into a joint account, and that he had already amassed billions prior to the marriage. Before co-founding Two Sigma, John Overdeck worked at DE Shaw & Co. and assisted Jeff Bezos in launching Amazon.
Laura Overdeck is also seeking hundreds of millions in treasury bonds held in a trust and joint control of their family foundation, which held $920 million in assets as of a 2024 tax filing. She holds a degree in astrophysics from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, and she founded the nonprofit Bedtime Math.