London: A Russian oligarch is facing the world’s most expensive divorce after his wife demanded 3.8 billion pounds as settlement from him.
Dmitry Rybolovlev, 43, a mining magnate ranked as Russia’s 10th richest man, is locked in a bitter divorce case with Elena, his wife of 23 years and the mother of his two daughters, the Telegraph reported.
At stake are a 72 million pounds motor yacht currently moored off the Italian coast and a string of lavish properties from London to Singapore, including a 62 million pounds mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, bought from Donald Trump.
Rybolovlev’s assets also include an art collection by Picasso, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Monet.
In court papers, Elena, also 43, has accused her husband of serial infidelity and of carousing on the couple’s yacht with a number of other women. She is said to be “sick to the back teeth of his fondness for other women”.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Elena, who runs a cultural foundation near Geneva, have indicated that she is looking for assets and cash worth close to 3.8 billion pounds, or half the wealth that Rybolovlev has accrued since they were married in 1987.
Although Forbes magazine estimated earlier this year that her husband was worth about 5.6 billion pounds, she believes that he is worth a lot more and has hidden much of his wealth in offshore accounts.
If her claim proves successful, it would be the most expensive divorce in history, outstripping Rupert Murdoch’s 1.1 billion pounds divorce from Anna, his wife of 32 years.
Rybolovlev is vigorously contesting his wife’s claims, saying that she signed a document in 2005 that limited any divorce settlement to just over 60 million pounds.
He also maintains that he no longer owns many of the assets to which she is laying claim.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.