I knew a guy who was in that position
I met him some 25 years back, when he and the Millstone (as he called her) had just got hitched. We lost touch, and met up again about 3 years ago.

Christ, the tales he had to tell! He was originally a solicitor. He then went into property, and made a fortune. Then he turned it into another one, on the back of buying into the tech boom of the early 90s (not the late 90s, when the lemmings came in).

Anyhoo, his wife had the kid, never back to work. Then she had another one. Fair enough. Then she announced that the kids were being privately schooled. Fair enough. Then she TOLD him to buy a property in Florida. Then she TOLD him she needed to live in London. In SW3.

By this time the kids were growing up. Both evil little bitches. He spent all his time at work.

Then the IT crash came. It didn't break him, but his shareholders decided they could do without his services. The Millstone and the Bitches went loopy when they found out that the houses were being cashed in so he had cash to restart the business, and that the £3K per month shopping allowance for EACH of them was stopping. The Millstone immediately started divorce proceedings. Problem was, the new business was secured against the properties. It went bang. It owed 3 mil to the bank. That's the houses gone. He paid off his credit cards. That took care of the current accounts. His lawyer took most of his savings.

He's an HGV driver now. He's the happy guy I remember.
(all my scars face forward possesses 2.5% of a hyperalloy combat chassis, Fri 23 Jan 2009, 18:13, Reply)