London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Son helped Russian billionaire father hide divorce money, London judge rules

Son helped Russian billionaire father hide divorce money, London judge rules

The son of a Russian billionaire helped his father hide millions of pounds from his mother after a divorce settlement, a London High Court judge has ruled.

Tatiana Akhmedova, who is Russian but lives in London, should have received £453m following a ruling in 2017.

But having only received £5m, she sued her ex-husband, accusing him of trying to conceal his wealth.

She also sued her eldest son who she said had been his father's "lieutenant" and actively assisted his schemes.

Ruling in Ms Akhmedova's favour, Mrs Justice Knowles quoted Tolstoy, saying: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

"With apologies to Tolstoy, the Akhmedov family is one of the unhappiest ever to have appeared in my courtroom."

Judges heard that Farkhad Akhmedov, a 65-year-old businessman, had not "voluntarily" paid a penny of the divorce settlement - thought to be the biggest award of its kind made in the UK.

They heard that he transferred a superyacht, the Luna, worth around £340m, and an art collection worth around £110m into the ownership of trusts in Liechtenstein.

In a WhatsApp message disclosed during legal proceedings, Mr Akhmedov told his son that he would "burn" all of his wealth rather than give it to her.

Temur replied, saying he agreed, adding that she "didn't deserve" a penny.

Farkhad Akhmedov was sued by his ex-wife, along with his son Temur

In her judgment at the High Court in London on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Knowles ordered Farkhad Akhmedov, and a network of companies he had used to hide his wealth, to hand over hundreds of millions of pounds to his ex-wife.

The judge also said very large sums had been transferred to Temur, a London trader, and concluded he must pay his mother around £75 million.

The judge said Temur was an "untruthful and unsatisfactory witness who lied in respect of various aspects of his evidence".

"Temur has learned well from his father's past conduct and has done and said all he could to prevent his mother receiving a penny of the matrimonial assets," she said.

"I find that he is a dishonest individual who will do anything to assist his father, no doubt because he is utterly dependent on his father for financial support."

In a statement, Ms Akhmedova said that her ex-husband's behaviour had "left a trail of destruction and pain in his wake" and had attempted to drive a "wedge" between her and her son.

She added: "Today's judgement is the inevitable conclusion given Farkhad's failure to behave honourably in the first instance."

Farkhad Akhmedov said: "Entirely predictably, given its original wrong and misguided judgment, the London court has ruled in favour of visiting 'the sins' of the father on an innocent and loyal son."

A spokesman for his son said: "Like millions of young people, Temur has been caught up in the break-up of his parents' marriage. He never sought to take sides or get involved but inevitably found himself sucked into the vortex of a bitter family dispute.

"His subsequent actions were only ever motivated by his desire to end the war between his parents."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×