New York (CNN Business) Shortly after they were married, MacKenzie Bezos drove her husband, Jeff, across the country from New York to Seattle while he typed out a business plan for what would become Amazon.

Now, twenty-five years later, MacKenzie Bezos could once again find herself in the driver's seat, this time with the potential to rattle her husband's control over the world's most valuable company

The world's richest couple announced in a joint statement Wednesday that they are getting a divorce "after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation."

The divorce could drastically reduce Jeff Bezos' stake in Amazon and open the door for his wife to become one of its largest shareholders, with new leverage at the company, according to divorce lawyers and corporate governance experts.

Washington, where the family lives and Amazon is based, is a community property state, which means assets accrued during the marriage must be split equally in a divorce. Given that Amazon launched after the pair were married, this rule would likely apply to virtually all of Jeff Bezos' current $137 billion net worth, experts say.

Read More