We investigate how promotions to top jobs affect the probability of divorce. In the first half of the paper we compare the relationship trajectories of winning and losing candidates for mayor and parliamentarian. We find that a promotion doubles the baseline probability of divorce for women, but not for men. The second half of the paper uncovers a possible explanation for this finding by comparing the characteristics of couples that divorce and those that do not. Divorces are concentrated in couples that adhered to traditional gender roles in the early phase of the relationship, while women in more gender-equal couples are unaffected. Joint with Olle Folke.

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