Russian billionaire would rather ‘burn’ fortune than pay ex-wife divorce bill

A Russian billionaire said he would rather ‘burn’ his money than pay his ex-wife’s divorce settlement, a court heard yesterday.

Oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov is alleged to be hiding millions owed to his former spouse in Russia to avoid making a payout ordered by a British court.

Tatiana Akhmedova, 48, who describes herself as ‘Russian by origin’ but lives in London, is trying to get her hands on around £450 million she is owed by Mr Akhmedov, 65, following the breakdown of their 20-year marriage.

But in a message to their eldest son Temur Akhmedov, 27, written in broken English, the oil and gas tycoon wrote: ‘I will burn this moneys rather than will give her.’

Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov said he would rather ‘burn’ his fortune than pay his ex-wife Tatiana Akhmedova’s record record £453million divorce settlement, a court has heard

Temur, who now works as a City trader in London agreed with his father, and even described his mother as ‘a b****’. 

He said his mother had ruined his life when he was a child. 

Ms Akhmedova has taken legal action in Britain and abroad in a bid to trace assets she says her ex-husband has tried to put beyond her reach.

Ms Akhmedova is also suing Temur Akhmedov, their eldest son, who is now a London trader.

She says he has helped his father hide assets and owes her nearly £70 million.

In a message to their eldest son Temur Akhmedov, 27, written in broken English, the oil and gas tycoon wrote: ‘I will burn this moneys rather than will give her’

Temur Akhmedov denies the allegations against him and says his mother’s claim should be dismissed.

Mrs Justice Knowles is considering evidence in the dispute between mother and son at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

A lawyer representing Ms Akhmedova asked Temur Akhmedov about emails he had exchanged with his father a few years ago.

The judge intervened at one point to check a phrase Temur Akhmedov had used about his mother in one of the messages.

She asked: ‘What did you call her?’

Temur Akhmedov replied: ‘She is a b****.’

Mrs Justice Knowles heard how Farkhad Akhmedov had said in one message that it would be ‘better to burn the money’ than give it to Ms Akhmedova.

Tatiana was awarded £453m in 2016 after the collapse of her ten-year marriage but her husband refused pay her half his fortune saying he did not recognise the High Court’s ruling. Since then she has attempted to seize his mega yacht Luna worth more than £350m

Other assets at stake include a £115 million art collection featuring paintings by Andy Warhol (stock photo), Mark Rothko and Damien Hirst

Temur Akhmedov said he had agreed.

‘Absolutely I agreed,’ he said. ‘I thought it was totally wrong for my mother to ruin my life when I was a kid and teach me emotional values, family values, she didn’t adhere to.’

He has told the judge how his mother and father both had affairs when he was a child.

His father had left his mother to ‘her own devices’ and ‘she him’, Temur Akhmedov had said.

Ms Akhmedova has told the judge that she loves her son and hopes their relationship can be rebuilt.

Tatiana Akhmedova and her son Temur taken in 2014 two years before the record £453 million divorce settlement

She said suing him had been an ‘incredibly difficult’ decision.

Ms Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5 per cent share of her ex-husband’s £1 billion-plus fortune by a London judge in late 2016.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said she should receive £453 million – which lawyers said was the biggest payout of its kind.

But judges have heard that she has so far only received about £5 million and Mr Akhmedov has not voluntarily paid anything.

Mr Akhmedov says because he and his ex-wife are not British, and were not married in Britain, a British judge should not have made a decision.