A Russian billionaire who was ordered to pay £453 million to his former wife in what is believed to be Britain's biggest divorce case has been named at the High Court as Farkhad Akhmedov. However, his ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova has not received 'a penny from him', the court heard.
An order preventing the couple's identification was lifted on Wednesday after Akhmedova requested anonymity due to fears for her safety. Details of the settlement and their lavish lifestyle were revealed in the Court of Appeal.
Akhmedov, 62, who featured on the US 'Putin list' of officials and oligarchs close to the Kremlin, was ordered by a High Court judge in 2016 to give his 41-year-old ex-wife 41.5% of his 'staggering' wealth. The gas and oil tycoon, a close friend of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, married Akhmedova more than 20 years ago.
The couple, who have two sons, moved to London in 1993. They lived in a £39 million mansion in Surrey and owned a £27.8 million holiday home. Akhmedova raised the children without a nanny, the court was told.
Akhmedov is appealing the divorce settlement, with his lawyers claiming the judgment showed 'manifestly unjust' favouritism. Hodge Malek QC, for Akhmedova, told the Court of Appeal that she was just 17 when she met her ex-husband, and 21 and pregnant when they married. He alleged Akhmedov had shifted almost all his wealth offshore to 'stop his wife getting it'.
The previous highest divorce payout was £337 million awarded in 2014. Such awards have given London the reputation of being 'the divorce capital of the world'.
