Dave Portnoy confirms his ex-wife has ‘full access’ to his bank account: The unusual reason he trusts her with all his money, and how to set yours up for marriage

Portnoy is the American businessman and social media personality, best known as the founder of Barstool Sports, a popular digital media company focused on sports-betting and “mancave” pop culture. He started Barstool in 2003 as a print publication and built it into a major media brand, worth over US$500M at the time it was acquired by Penn Entertainment in 2020.

Portnoy’s current net worth is estimated at around US$100 million to US$150 million. And though he and Renee Portnoy have been separated for years, he said in a previous interview with ESPN’s Sage Steele that their divorce proceedings stalled when a judge insisted their financial agreement was unfair to Renee. But she didn’t want half, he explained, so they agreed to a private arrangement outside of court.

While having finances intertwined after divorcing makes the Portnoys’ story highly unconventional, it emphasizes just how messy and expensive divorce can be for couples splitting acrimoniously.

Divorce can be a costly and drawn-out process

Unless your breakup is as amicable as the Portnoys’, divorce can be both time-consuming and expensive.

While an uncontested — or “simple” — divorce can be resolved within six months after the mandatory one-year separation period ends, a divorce fraught with disagreement on any key issues such as asset division, child custody and spousal support typically involves lawyers, lengthy litigation and numerous hearings that could drag out for years. And the longer it takes, the greater the cost.

CTV News reported in May 2025 the average cost of a contested divorce ranged between CA$15,000 CA$35,000, with some more complex cases running into the hundreds of thousands.

The divorce overview in Canada

On the upside, divorces in Canada have been declining since the early 90s, with 2020 granting the lowest number of divorces — almost 43,000 — since 1973, according to Statistics Canada.

However, despite fewer divorces, BMO reported that married couples who split often underestimate the impact on their finances and post-divorce lives. Further studies state that men often surpass their predivorce financial situation sooner, while women may take longer to recover.

Protect your finances before marriage

Portnoy’s situation is unique, and his story underscores the importance of open financial communication before and during divorce. However, since no one ever marries with the intention of divorcing, preparing your finances before walking down the aisle is a crucial step to protecting your assets in the event of a marriage breakdown.

Here are three measures to take for future financial security should the unexpected occur: