Billionaire John Paulson engaged to 33-year-younger girlfriend amid divorce from ex-wife

Billionaire John Paulson (R) and his girlfriend Alina de Almeida attend the Grand Opening Of Serafina Express at Broad Street on Sep. 13, 2022 in New York City. Photo by AFP

Page Six reports that after two and a half years of dating, the billionaire and his girlfriend, a registered dietitian, decided to get engaged.

The news of the engagement was initially leaked when Amanda L. Gordon, a Bloomberg News reporter, referred to De Almeida as the billionaire’s "fiancée" in a piece about Paulson’s support for the re-election campaign of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

A source revealed to Page Six that while Paulson’s engagement is an open secret among his friends, the absence of an engagement ring has sparked speculation. This detail suggests that Paulson is deliberately keeping the engagement discreet to avoid further straining his already tense relationship with his estranged wife Jenny Zaharia, 52, who was also his former secretary.

Paulson sought a divorce from Zaharia in 2021 after 20 years of marriage, and the latter was reportedly taken aback when she found out about her husband’s decision to split, having discovered it through media reports.

The former couple, who did not enter into a prenuptial agreement, are currently locked in a legal dispute over the division of their marital assets.

As of April 17, Paulson’s net worth is valued at US$3.5 billion by Forbes.

After obtaining his undergraduate degree from New York University and his MBA from Harvard Business School, Paulson accumulated his wealth through his hedge fund firm and by successfully betting against subprime mortgages at the height of the 2007 credit bubble.