Russian billionaire’s ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova wins Britain’s biggest divorce settlement
A billionaire’s ex has been awarded an enormous sum after a judge ruled he tried to use a “formidable smokescreen” to conceal assets.
A Russian billionaire’s ex has won the latest battle to get her hands on £453 million ($A814 million) in Britain’s biggest divorce settlement.
The finale to a High Court fight comes after a judge found Tatiana Akhmedova’s former billionaire businessman husband and their son plotted to hide the huge fortune.
She had argued her ex had hidden assets and accused their 27-year-old son Temur Akhmedov of acting as his dad’s “lieutenant” in the legal scrap.
Today, a judge made rulings in Ms Akhmedova’s favour and reiterated she is owed the enormous sum after noting the “formidable smokescreen” created to conceal assets.
It marks the latest stage in Britain’s most expensive divorce case ever, which began five years ago.
Ms Akhmedova, who is from Russia but lives in London, said her son helped his father, Farkhad Akhmedova hide assets, and owed her nearly £70 million ($A126 million).
Temur Akhmedov said his mother’s claim against him should be dismissed.
The mum-of-two had already successfully sued her son to get a £5 million ($A9 million) property in Moscow as the family broke apart.
Mrs Justice Gwynneth Knowles heard evidence in the bitter battle between mother and son at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
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Bitter battle
She quoted the first line of Russian novel Anna Karenina in her written ruling, saying: “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
“With apologies to Tolstoy, the Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom.”
She added: “The wife has been the victim of a series of schemes designed to put every penny of the husband’s wealth beyond her reach.”
During their marriage they enjoyed a lavish lifestyle – splitting time between a £39 million ($A70 million) mansion in Surrey and a £27.8 million ($A50 million) holiday home.
Farkhad Akhmedov, worth £900 million ($A1.6 billion) said in a statement: “Following the London High Court’s scandalous award to my ex-wife in 2016, Burford has embarked on a staggeringly expensive global tour of the world’s courts seeking to seize assets from me and from family trusts.
“Having failed in four years to secure a meaningful judgment and got nothing from any court in the world, they returned to London to bring a cowardly action against our son.
“Entirely predictably, given its original wrong and misguided judgment, the London court has ruled in favour of visiting “the sins” of the father on an innocent and loyal son.
“Today’s judgment and the continued presence of Burford in a matrimonial matter is beneath contempt and changes nothing.”
A spokesman for the couple’s son said he only got involved to stop the “war between his parents”, adding: “Like millions of young people, Temur has been caught up in the break-up of his parents’ marriage.
“While he fundamentally disagrees with this judgment, he would consider it a price worth paying should it lead to a reasonable settlement between the parents he both loves.”
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‘Trail of destruction’
Ms Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5 per cent share of Mr Akhmedov’s £1 billion-plus ($A1.8 billion) fortune by another British judge in late 2016.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, who oversaw a hearing in London, said Ms Akhmedova should walk away with £453 million ($A813 million). The award is thought to be the biggest of its kind made in Britain.
But judges heard she has so far pocketed about £5 million ($A9 million) and Mr Akhmedov has not “voluntarily” paid a penny – with a judge ruling today she should get the sum.
Mr Akhmedov argued because he and his ex-wife are not British and were not married in Britain, a British judge should not have made a decision.
Mrs Justice Knowles heard that Mr Akhmedov transferred a superyacht, the Luna, worth around £340 million ($A610 million), and an art collection, worth around £110 million ($A198 million), into the ownership of trusts in Liechtenstein.
A statement from Ms Akhmedova today said: “Since our divorce in 2016 the conduct of my ex-husband Farkhad, has left a trail of destruction and pain in his wake.
“He has driven a vendetta born from his lies, that set out to destroy not only myself but sadly to try and drive a wedge between a mother and son. Fortunately that bond is unbreakable.
“As a father he has manipulated his parental responsibility, as a husband he has dishonoured the role of being a good father and instead has sought to destroy and drive his vindictive propaganda to manipulate, mock and utilise the courts in England and overseas.
“Today’s judgment is the inevitable conclusion given Farkhad’s failure to behave honourably in the first instance. This settlement should have been reached amicably as I offered on so many occasions.
“Money does not replace the permanent damage and scars to my children or the devastation that Farkhad has implemented on his own family and children.
“As a mother and grandmother, I will gladly take the protectorate role over my family where Farkhad has failed.
“I always knew that my strength would prevail through the smoke and mirrors as presented by Farkhad and his circus of illusionists.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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