Madonna and Guy strike deal to share custody of the children... but he doesn't get a penny of her £300m fortune

Madonna and Guy Ritchie have reached agreement on their divorce - with the British film director refusing to take a penny of the pop star’s cash, it has emerged.

An announcement could come by the end of the month, a source close to the negotiations tells London's Evening Standard.

Another report, in The Times, claimed that notice of a decree nisi would be posted in the Registry of the Family Division in London within 24 hours.

Madonna, who attended a charity gala in New York last night looking much younger than her fifty years , will walk away from the eight-year marriage with her fortune, estimated at £300m, intact.


Although Ritchie, himself believed to be worth £30m, was entitled under English divorce law to as much as half of her wealth, sources suggest he has done a 'Piper' - a reference to Billie Piper, the actress who divorced the broadcaster Chris Evans without asking for anything.

The stumbling block in the split had been over where Ritchie and Madonna’s children will now live.

Madonna, 50, wished to take the children back to New York while Ritchie, 40, wanted to keep his sons in London, where they have grown up.

The source said a compromise had now been reached which will see the two boys - Rocco, eight, and three-year-old adopted David - dividing their time between Britain and the US.

Madonna’s daughter Lourdes, by another relationship, will continue to live with her.

Richie, who is currently looking after their sons, took them both to the London set of his film Sherlock Holmes.

The source said: 'It will be all over by the end of the month. The priority for him has always been the children.

'Ritchie has not wanted her money. He has done exactly what Billie Piper did when she divorced Chris Evans. She walked away without any of his money, much to her credit. Guy Ritchie has done the same.'

A second source said: 'Ritchie could have taken her to the cleaners. He is a very honourable man to have walked away.'

Sources said the announcement of the settlement would not include financial details.

The couple only officially announced they were splitting last month after several weeks of speculation.

The speed with which they have come to a deal will come as a surprise because it follows reports that the split was acrimonious and therefore likely to drag on.

The two lawyers acting for the couple - Helen Ward and Fiona Shackleton - are said to have worked around the clock to reach a settlement. Lady Ward, who acted for Ritchie, brought on board leading children’s barrister Stephen Cobb QC to negotiate where the children will reside.

Mrs Shackleton used Nicholas Mostyn QC, an expert in the financial intricacies in divorce cases. Mrs Shackleton and Mr Mostyn represented Sir Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills.

One source said: 'It’s indicative of Ritchie’s priorities that he brought in Stephen Cobb. You wouldn’t go for Cobb if you were after a huge settlement.'
Madonna isn't letting her tense divorce negotiations slow her down, and last night stepped out looking positively radiant at a charity gala in New York.

The 50-year-old's skin seemed remarkably youthful as she glammed up with the help of lashings of red lipstick.

It was almost enough to distract from her wacky green dress, which more resembled shrubbery than a red carpet party frock.

David and Victoria Beckham add another A-lister to their circle as they dine with Madonna in Los Angeles

David and Victoria Beckham continued their relentless pursuit of A-list friends last night as they took the Queen of Pop, Madonna, out for dinner.

The trio bonded over a meal at celebrity haunt Nobu, one of the couple's favourite Los Angeles restaurants.

Posh has long been a fan of the Material Girl - just last month she was photographed wearing a retro Madonna tour T-shirt .
The singer, who split from husband Guy Ritchie last month, is the city on a short break from her gruelling Sticky & Sweet world tour which will resume in Houston on Sunday.

She is the latest celebrity to be charmed by the Beckhams, who have proved to be impressive social networkers in recent years.

They've enjoyed double dates with Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and her basketballer husband Tony Parker and also often keep company with actress Kate Beckinsale and her director husband Len Wiseman.

Posh regularly takes the couple's sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz for play dates with singer Gwen Stefani's young family.

She has also won over Heidi Klum and their friendship led to her guest appearance on the supermodel's popular fashion show, Project Runway, last season.

But not all attempts at fostering high profile comrades have been as successful.

Victoria caused a paparazzi frenzy when she posed up with Jennifer Lopez at a Marc Jacobs fashion show in New York in September.

The two held hands and hugged but skeptics branded it a blatant photo opportunity, with fellow guest Kelly Osbourne observing at the time: 'I’ve never seen two people pretend to like each other more in my life.'

Posh and J.Lo have not been seen together since.

The Beckhams were also famously close to Hollywood power couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes after making the move to America last year, but the friendship appears to have cooled in recent times.

Sources say the friendship went off the boil largely because of the Beckhams’ reluctance to join the Church of Scientology.

Perhaps Kabbalah will be a better fit.

Guy Ritchie enjoys emotional airport reunion with sons Rocco and David... as gaunt Madonna shows the strain

After weeks apart, an emotional Guy Ritchie was reunited with his sons Rocco and David at a London airport this morning.

The director's children were back on English soil after being whisked away to the US by Madonna, who is in the throes of her Sticky and Sweet tour.

Eight-year-old Rocco looked delighted to be back in his father's company and threw his arms around him after walking through the gates at Gatwick.
Guy also shared a hug with David, three, whom he adopted from Malawi in 2006, later hoisting him on his hip as they made their way through the terminal.

An onlooker says: 'Rocco shouted, "Dad!" in the loudest voice.'

'Both he and David were smiling. Guy literally threw his coffee aside to free up his hands and run over. You could tell they were all so excited to see each other.'

The scene couldn't have been more different for Madonna, who was pictured leaving a LA Kabbalah meeting over the weekend looking tired and gaunt.

Rocco and David have barely seen their father since Guy and Madonna announced their plans for divorce in mid October.
Guy was reportedly reduced to tears after seeing a photo of Rocco at a New York play centre wearing a navy Yankees T-shirt - the baseball team of Madonna's rumoured new love interest Alex Rodriguez - just days after the split was made public.

He has since kept busy shooting his new film, Sherlock Holmes, in central London by day and drinking at his Mayfair pub, the Punch Bowl, by night.

A custody arrangement for the children remains a sticking point for the estranged couple, who were married for almost eight years.

Last week Guy, 40, hired a top lawyer in his battle with the 50-year-old over where their children should live.Guy was reportedly reduced to tears after seeing a photo of Rocco at a New York play centre wearing a navy Yankees T-shirt - the baseball team of Madonna's rumoured new love interest Alex Rodriguez - just days after the split was made public.

He has since kept busy shooting his new film, Sherlock Holmes, in central London by day and drinking at his Mayfair pub, the Punch Bowl, by night.

A custody arrangement for the children remains a sticking point for the estranged couple, who were married for almost eight years.

Last week Guy, 40, hired a top lawyer in his battle with the 50-year-old over where their children should live.
Stephen Cobb, QC, is regarded as the leading specialist in divorce cases in which the country of residence of the children is in dispute.

Madonna is understood to want leave the family's London base and move back to the U.S.

She also has a daughter, 12-year-old Lourdes, whose father, Carlos Leon, lives in New York.

The singer cannot take the children to live with her permanently in the US unless she either gets permission from Ritchie or an English court grants her leave.