23 July 2020

Divorcee owed £450 million raises fresh concerns about son’s involvement

23 July 2020

A divorcee fighting to get her hands on nearly £450 million she is owed by her Russian billionaire ex-husband has raised fresh concerns about their eldest son’s involvement.

Tatiana Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5% share of businessman Farkhad Akhmedov’s £1 billion-plus fortune by a British judge in late 2016.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, who analysed the case at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said Ms Akhmedova should get £453 million.

But judges have heard she has so far received about £5 million and that Mr Akhmedov has not “voluntarily” paid a penny.

Ms Akhmedova says he has tried to put assets, including a £346 million yacht, the MV Luna, and a modern art collection, beyond her reach.

She has also taken legal action against their son, Temur, and says he has played a “central role” in putting assets beyond her reach.

A judge overseeing the latest stage of the litigation has now made an order freezing Temur’s assets to the value of 120 million United States dollars.

Mr Justice Gwynneth Knowles, who analysed a virtual hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Thursday, made the order after Ms Akhmedova raised concern about Temur’s assets being dissipated.

She is due to oversee a further hearing in the near future and lawyers said Temur aimed to vary the terms of the order.

Mr Akhmedov has said that because he and his ex-wife are not British, and were not married in Britain, a British judge should not have made decisions.

Temur, a trader who lives in London and is in his 20s, disputes allegations made against him.

He says his father said money would be available to invest on the financial market.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox