AITA for giving my ex wife a large amount of money I won despite the anger of my gf?

I recently won a ‘fuck you’ amount of money. I won’t say exactly how much but it’s in the millions. It makes me feel funny even typing It’s enough to change the life of myself and my family.

My ex wife is the mother of my 2 kids. She is an amazing woman and good to the bone. We divorced 6 years ago because I had an affair with my current partner. I was in a low place in my life and I fucked up. She was in incredible pain but - like a fucking saint- she allowed me to still see our kids who mean the world to me, allowed our divorce to be as pain free as possible despite the fact that I know she was hurting. She still is close with my parents. She is respectful to me although she refuses to talk to my gf.

She was actually the first person I phoned after my mom and pops after I found out I won the lottery. She was pleased for me, joked that I could take the kids on a world round trip, and that was that. Nothing else. as soon as I won, I knew I wanted to give her a significant amount. I still love her. She’s the mother of my babies and I feel like this is some small tiny way I can show her that I’m not a complete fuck up. She deserves to know that I care despite my mistakes. She also works a shitty job in the public library which pays her peanuts- she would actually be able to pursue her hobbies this way. Give our kids a better life between us. I haven’t discussed this with my ex yet, but I have with my parents who strongly agree and my lawyer who was very surprised but on board.

Long story short, when I told my gf, she was my livid. Screaming that I’m disrespecting her, accusing me of still being in love with my ex wife- I’m not in love with her. We’ve both grown apart, but of course I still love her for being an excellent co parenting partner and mother to my kids. My gf is threatening to break up with me, and tbh I’m feeling incredibly relieved over the threats. I don’t plan on changing my plans, but AITA?

Source: Reddit

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Comments from Harsh Truths of Love

OP has acknowledged that his ex-wife is the mother of his children, and when she’s doing well, the kids benefit too. Sharing wealth with her helps the entire family thrive. She deserves it. Despite her pain, she’s shown incredible grace in the divorce by putting her children’s best interests first, even as her ex leaves her for someone else. Her selflessness in this situation is admirable.

The girlfriend, on the other hand, is upset because she already sees herself as the new wife and believes she should have a say in the finances. But this highlights a key distinction: as a wife, you have legal rights to marital income and assets, while as a girlfriend, you don’t. Additionally, her anger seems misplaced. When you're with a man who has children from a previous marriage, their well-being is always a priority, and that’s part of the deal. True love means understanding and accepting that.

Now back to OP’s question - is he the asshole for sharing his wealth? Definitely not. But he is kind of an asshole - well first he cheated and now he’s “relieved” about the threats of his girlfriend, whom he cheated with. Isn’t this a little messed up? I’d say try to commit with one woman.