My neighbour Sarah’s obsessed with celebrity divorces. Can’t help herself. Last week, she accosted me in the shops, brandishing her phone. “Did you hear that Phil Collins’ ex-wife got £17 million in the divorce?” she said with a look of utter fascination. I hadn’t, but Sarah was just beginning.
It seems Jill Tavelman, the ex-wife of Phil Collins, has done very well for herself. And not just because of the divorce settlement. The woman knows how to run a business.
The Big Divorce Settlement
So anyway, let’s get the big reveal out of the way first. At the time of Jill and Phil’s divorce in 1996, she was awarded £17 million. That was roughly $34 million at the time, which would be worth even more today with inflation and all that. Not bad for a marriage that lasted from 1984 to 1996. Twelve years, one daughter (Lily Collins, aka the frizzy girl in Emily in Paris) and a very public messy breakup. Phil had been seeing his ex-fiancée, Lavinia Lang. Proper soap opera stuff. He confessed he’d “fallen out of love” with Jill. Really nice way to say that, actually.
Current Jill Tavelman Net Worth
As of 2024-2025, Jill Tavelman’s net worth is estimated to be around $25 million. That’s a pretty penny, all the more so when you consider that she’s been growing her bank account since the divorce settlement, rather than just hoarding a pot of money. The majority of her earnings come from her profession as an architect. Jill also received $17 million from her divorce, but she’s been smart about growing that money.
The Architecture Career
And here is where Jill gets interesting in a way that goes beyond the usual celebrity scandal. She’s a respected entrepreneur and architect with an eight-figure net worth. Jill, who describes herself on Instagram as a “purveyor of resurrected oddities,” has carved out her own successful career. Architecture’s not some fast-cash job, per se, but Jill has made it work. Property development, restoration jobs, and high-end residential work have all added to her net worth over the years.
Smart Property Investments
She purchased a $12.4 million mansion in 2016. That’s a lot of money to have in bricks and mortar these days, but it’s surely worth more today. Property in Los Angeles doesn’t tend to decrease in value, does it? The woman knows her real estate; I’ll say that much. It probably doesn’t hurt to have been an architect the next time you’re looking at real estate investments. She can spot the good bones of a building and see potential where others might see problems.
The Beverly Hills Connection
She had served as president of the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. That’s proper posh, that is. Being well-connected certainly helps when one is in the architectural world. So she grew up in that world, as her parents had a men’s clothing business in Beverly Hills for years. Knew the area, knew the people, and knew how money worked there.
Lily Collins Factor
And it doesn’t hurt that she has a well-known daughter. Lily Collins is huge now; Emily in Paris, Mirror Mirror, and many other films. Which elevates the family platform, which likely doesn’t hurt the architecture business. Not that Jill has to rely on her daughter’s fame to make a living. The woman had been killing it long before Lily was a household name.
The Quiet Approach
What I find refreshing about Jill is how she’s kept out of the limelight. She isn’t on any social media websites, which is brilliant in this day and age. No Instagram drama, no Twitter feuds, just getting on with business. Phil Collins, on the other hand, has had three marriages and three divorces. Makes Jill look like the sensible one, doesn’t it?
Comparing to Phil’s Fortune
Phil Collins has a net worth of around $350 million, so Jill’s $25 million might seem modest in comparison. But she’s built her wealth independently, without relying on music royalties or touring income. Plus, she got her settlement nearly 30 years ago. Growing £17 million into $25 million over three decades? That’s not bad going, especially when you factor in what she’s probably spent on living expenses.
My Take on Her Success
Having heard Sarah go on about celebrity finances for years, I reckon Jill Tavelman’s done alright for herself. She took a difficult situation, such as a public divorce and messy affair revelations, and turned it into something positive. The architecture career shows she’s not just living off the divorce money. She’s working, building businesses, and creating value. That takes real skill and determination.
The Bigger Picture
Jill Tavelman net worth might be a fraction of her ex-husband’s fortune, but she’s achieved something more valuable, which is her independence. She doesn’t need Phil’s money anymore. She’s built her own empire. At 68 years old now, she’s still working, still building. The blonde was born in Los Angeles, California, USA, on 9th April 1956, so she’s had plenty of time to establish herself.
Final Thoughts
Sarah’s still fascinated by celebrity divorce settlements, but I think she’s missing the real story. It’s not about how much Jill got from Phil Collins. It’s about what she did with it afterwards. Built a career, raised a successful daughter, stayed out of the tabloids, and accumulated proper wealth through her own work. That’s worth more than any divorce settlement, if you ask me. Not that Sarah would agree. She’s already moved on to dissecting someone else’s financial affairs. Neighbours, eh?
