The Lifestyle To Which She Is Accustomed

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the wife of billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, owner of rival paper the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and several smaller publications, is to receive $725,000 a month in spousal maintenance.

Margaret Ritchie Battle Scaife and the billionaire are entrenched in a nasty divorce battle with a wide range of issues. The two have maintained separate households since their marriage in 1991.

Richard's attorneys maintain that Margaret couldn't possibly expend the alimony payments recommended by the court. Maintenance payments are determined by a court schedule, which allows certain amounts based on the other spouse's income. Mr. Scaife's monthly income is estimated at $3.9 million.

Attorneys have requested that the court reconsider the award, arguing that part of Scaife's monthly income is expended as a business expense to underwrite the unprofitable Tribune-Review. Mrs. Scaife contends that the paper is a hobby, not a legitimate business venture, and it's expenses should not be deducted. Attorneys for the parties have declined to comment on the award, as the court has ordered the matter sealed.

Scaife, known for being reclusive, is perhaps best-known for the series of investigations he funded into President Clinton's activities. Mrs. Scaife has twice been arrested as a result of domestic disputes at her husband's nearby mansion.

What we'd like to know is, where do you sign up for this kind of marriage? At $725,000 per month, Margaret stands to earn about $9 million per year, or about $4,200 per hour. Now that's the kind of job we could live with.

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