Billionaire named on 'Putin list' who is friends with Roman Abramovich forces his ex-wife back to court claiming his order to pay her £453m in Britain's biggest divorce is 'manifestly unjust'
Tatiana Akhmedov was given a 41. 5% share of Farkhad Akhmedovs (pictured) £1billion-plus fortune following a London divorce court money fight.
A billionaire oligarch ordered to hand his ex-wife £453million in Britains biggest divorce case was a victim of manifestly unjust treatment by courts, lawyers claimed today.
Gas and oil tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov, 61, a close friend of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, was told to hand ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova 41. 5 per cent of his staggering wealth by a High Court judge in London in December 2016.
During their marriage the couple enjoyed an incredibly lavish lifestyle, with a £39million mansion in Surrey as their family home, as well as a £27.
Mr Akhmedov, who is worth £900million, was included in the recent Putin list, which was released by the US Treasury Department and gives the names of 210 prominent Russians with close ties to the Kremlin.
He owns a £90million art collection and has a private jet valued at around £42m and helicopter.
In 2014, he bought a £300million 377ft super-yacht called Luna from Mr Abramovich for an eye-watering £300million. The vessel has nine cabins and enough room for 18 guests and was built especially for Mr Abramovich. .
But after the couple - who have two children together - split following more than 20 years of marriage, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave ordered him to give up a huge chunk of his fortune.
The ruling, which was delivered at the end of 2016, was one of the biggest awards made by a UK court.
But lawyers today argued that the hearing was unfair, claiming that the family courts attitude was to espouse without restraint his ex wifes case.
For her part, Ms Akhmedova, 41, says that, despite the courts order, she has to date received almost nothing from her ex.
Hodge Malek QC, for his wife, told the Court of Appeal today that she was just 17 when she met her ex, and 21 and pregnant when they married in 1993 and moved to England.
He said: The husband has not paid a penny. Despite being awarded in aggregate £453,576,152 before interest and costs (she) has to date received nothing from (him) save for some de minimis assets in the UK..
Tatiana Akhmedova (pictured left, with her lawyer Fiona Shackleton outside the High Court on Wednesday) was given a 41. 5 per cent share of Farkhad Akhmedovs £1billion-plus fortune following a London divorce court battle.
Mr Akhmedov, who owns a private jet and helicopter and a £90m art collection, also bought a £300m super-yacht (pictured) from Chelsea owner Mr Abramovich in 2014. The business mogul also has a has a private jet valued at around £42m (pictured).
Mr Akhmedov is flagrantly in contempt of court. Mr Akhmedov had nothing like the wealth now enjoyed by him - substantively their wealth was made during the marriage.
He told Sir James Munby, Lord Justice Lewison and Lady Justice King that Mr Akhmedov - who started out selling sable furs - made his fortune when he sold shares in Russian company, ZAO Northgas, in 2012 for a staggering $1.
The marriage broke down in 2013 and finally ended in 2014, he said, claiming that, since then, the husband had embarked on a deliberate campaign of trying to defeat the wifes claims by any means possible - save on the merits.
Mr Malek claimed that the husband had shifted almost all of his wealth out of the UK to offshore funds and began to strip cash out to stop his wife getting it as the divorce proceedings progressed.
He said his wife to date has received nothing from the husband save for some de minimis assets in the UK, which include some sporting guns and a valuable motor car, whilst she has also arrested his helicopter and plane.
As part of the divorce ruling, Mr Justice Haddon Cave set aside a transfer of assets, including Mr Akhmedovs £90m art collection, to a fund in Liechtenstein.
Farkhad Akhmedov owns a luxurious mansion with a large pool in St Jean Cap Ferat, France (pictured). In 2014, he bought a £300million 377ft super-yacht called Luna (pictured) from Mr Abramovich.
One of the husbands lawyers, solicitor Anthony Kerman, was summonsed as part of that process and compelled to divulge to the court private information relating to his clients finances which would normally be privileged and secret.
That move is now being attacked as unfair, with the husband seeking to join the challenge, claiming his case was affected negatively by the controversial move.
Philip Shepherd QC, for Mr Kerman, argued that forcing him to reveal Mr Akhmedovs private affairs cannot be right adding: All proper judicial restraint seems to have been abandoned.
He added: The family courts attitude at the hearings of 15 and 16 December 2016 was to espouse without restraint the cause being made by Ms Akhmedova.
A lawyer witness should not be ambushed into giving evidence, which may reveal legal professional privilege or other matters that it is his duty to keep confidential.
Just as the law does not deprive a fugitive from justice from his ordinary civil rights generally, nor should it do so in relation to his rights to defend legal professional privilege.
Mr Akhmedov, who is worth £900million, also owns a £90million art collection and has a private jet and helicopter. Court of Appeal judges were today considering legal issues in the case at a follow-up hearing in London.
Production of client documents by a lawyer will inevitably affect the client.
The barrister added that the husband has a legitimate ground of challenge to Mr Justice Haddon Caves rulings, saying: The various respondents and other such persons who may be affected by the orders against Mr Kerman should now be given the opportunity to join these appeal proceedings.
Mr Shepherd added: The procedures allowed by the family court in this case were manifestly unjust.
He said that Mr Kerman is no longer instructed by Mr Akhmedov and denied the wifes accusation that he is the husbands general man of business, rather than simply a lawyer.
Mr Malek, however, told the court that Mr Kermans appeal is defective and should be regarded as being of limited significance as it relates largely to matters which have now been overtaken by events. The Appeal Court hearing continues.
What are Britains biggest divorce payouts? London has earned its reputation as the divorce capital of the world following a series of huge pay-outs in favour of the financially weaker spouse.
The nickname - cemented by an emphasis on full disclosure from both parties - has encouraged foreign-born spouses to seek divorce settlements in London, rather than their home country.
Another reason for taking legal action in London is the fact that English courts have the discretion to decide on a case-by-case basis whether prenuptial agreements are binding.
In 2012, The Times found that a sixth of divorce cases heard by English courts involved foreign nationals. Of the cases where huge sums were involved, around half are thought to involve international couples.
Ayesha Vardag, a lawyer who has represented a number of wealthy clients in high-profile divorce battles, said: The principle that there is no discrimination between breadwinner and homemaker is the cornerstone of why the English jurisdiction is seen as a particularly fair one for the financially weaker spouse. MailOnline takes a look at some of the biggest divorce payouts.
Farkhad Akhmedov, a Russian energy tycoon 1. Akhmedov v Akhmedova - £453million Tatiana Akhmedova was given a 41.5% share of Farkhad Akhmedovs £1billion-plus fortune following a London divorce court money fight. News of Ms Akhmedovas payout emerged during the summer of 2017 following a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London overseen by a High Court judge.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave revealed detail of the case in a written ruling published on a legal website. His award was thought to be the biggest made by a divorce court judge in England.
However, the ruling has been challenged through an appeal. 2.
Cooper v Hohn - £337m The case of philanthropists Sir Christopher Hohn and Jamie Cooper was concluded by Mrs Justice Roberts in December 2014. The husband was successful in his argument for special contribution and the judge departed from equality to award the wife £337 million, 36 per cent of the overall total assets. In June 2017 Sir Geoffrey Vos then ordered Sir Christopher to make a payment of £282 million from his charity into his ex-wifes own foundation.
Estrada v Juffali - £75m The divorce between model Christina Estrada and Saudi billionaire Walid Juffali was finalised by Mrs Justice Roberts in June 2016. The case was notable for the consideration of the couples stratospheric standard of living and Juffalis Islamic marriage to a second wife in 2012. Mr Juffali had previously tried to avoid the proceedings through a spurious assertion of diplomatic immunity.
The divorce between model Christina Estrada and Saudi billionaire Walid Juffali was finalised by Mrs Justice Roberts in June 2016 4. WM v HM - £73m Mr Justice Mostyn presided over the case of WM v HM in May 2017.
The husbands claim for special contribution was dismissed and the wife was awarded £73 million. The case was also interesting for Mostyn Js words on valuing a business in hindsight.
Former Miss Malaysia beauty queen Pauline Chai wanted around £100m from ex-husband Khoo Kay Peng following the breakdown of their 42-year marriage 5.
Chai v Peng £64.5m Former Miss Malaysia beauty queen Pauline Chai wanted around £100m from ex-husband Khoo Kay Peng following the breakdown of their 42-year marriage. Dr Khoo, non-executive chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings, said she should pocket about £9m.
After analysing the evidence at the trial at the High Court in London, Mr Justice Bodey announced his decision last year that Ms Chai should get a £64m package made up of cash and property. 6.
Al-Baker v Al-Baker £61m The judgment for the multinational case of Sarah Al-Baker v Abdul Amir Al-Baker was handed down in October 2016 by Mr Nicholas Cusworth QC. The case which stretched between civil and religious courts was remarkable because of the husbands consistent non-compliance and non-disclosure which resulted in the wife being awarded £61 million.
M v M - £54m Mrs Justice Eleanor King DBE presided over the case of M v M in August 2013, resulting in the wife being awarded £54m. Owing to the Russian couples marital assets being tied up in offshore trusts, the case had an extra five respondents.
Charman v Charman - £48m In 2006 Beverley Charman, the former wife of insurance magnate John Charman was awarded a £48million settlement by the English courts in proceedings which took two years.
Mr Charman appealed the decision but the pay out, which made legal history at the time, was upheld in 2007. 9.
Sorrell v Sorrell - £30m The case of Lady Sorrell v Sir Martin Sorrell was heard by Mr Justice Bennett in July 2005. This is one of the rare cases where a husband successfully argued special contribution, which led to Lady Sorrell being awarded £30million, a 60/40 split of the marital assets.
The acrimonious split saw the head of advertising group WPP living for a time in the basement of their Knightsbridge townhouse. In the divorce settlement, she also got two parking spaces at Harrods. 10.
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