The divorce of Smilegate gaming company founder Kwon Heok-bin could become the most expensive in South Korean history. The court ruled that the 52-year-old billionaire must transfer assets and money worth about $1.87 billion to his ex-wife, Lee Hwa-jin.

The bulk of the amount consists of a 35% stake in Smilegate awarded to Lee, which is valued at about 2.5 trillion won. In addition, Kwon must pay his ex-wife another 65 billion won, or roughly $48.6 million, in cash.

The couple had been married for more than 20 years. Lee filed for divorce in 2022 and initially claimed half of the company. She said they married in 2001 — a year before Smilegate was founded — and that she took care of the children and household. Her lawyers also argued that in the early 2000s she helped finance the business and worked at the company. Kwon insisted that his wife did not invest in Smilegate and did not participate in its operations.

Kwon founded Smilegate in 2002. The company is known for games such as Crossfire and Lost Ark and is currently considered the third-most valuable game developer in South Korea. Bloomberg estimates the entrepreneur's net worth at about $3 billion.