A British court has ordered a Russian businessman to hand over more than £100 million of money and assets to his ex-wife after it emerged he was secretly living a double life.Mikhail Krupiev and Elena Krupieva were married in 1988 and spent more than three decades together before their relationship broke up. The split occurred after he discovered that he had another wife and child in Russia.According to The Sun, the couple moved to the UK in 1993 after becoming British citizens and had two children. However, the court heard that their second child from a secret relationship was born around 2008. Their divorce has been going on since 2024, mainly due to disputes over money and property.At the center of the matter was the couple’s property. Krupiev owns oil and gas-related businesses, including contracts worth between $1.5 billion and $2 billion to export oil from Syria. Another company operating in Kazakhstan was said to make millions of dollars in profits.During the hearing, his ex-wife’s legal team argued that she should get three properties, including his former seven-bedroom home in St John’s Wood, London, worth £14.4 million, as well as homes in Russia and Portugal worth £26 million. He also asked for £32.1 million in cash.Krupiev, who appeared in court via video link and represented herself, argued that she should only receive the assets and £300,000. But the court rejected his views.Deputy High Court judge James Ivins Casey ruled that he must hand over three properties and £60 million in cash, bringing the total settlement to around £100.6 million.The judge was critical of Krupiev’s conduct throughout the case. He said his “continued violations of various court orders” had “significantly deteriorated” his condition. He described her evidence as “grossly unsatisfactory and lacking credibility” and said her repeated apologies were “hollow”.Krupiev was previously sentenced to 28 days for contempt of court after refusing to allow a proper valuation of his businesses. The sentence was suspended on condition that he complied with court orders.The court was told that during the marriage the family lived a very affluent lifestyle, regularly traveling between homes in London, Portugal, Turkey and Russia. They took luxury holidays by private jet, including annual Christmas trips to Mustique, and Elena Krupieva made regular shopping trips to Milan. Krupiev also had an expensive collection of wine, watches and firearms.After the relationship broke down, she said her £40,000 monthly allowance was cut off. Krupiev claimed he had limited cash available, but the judge said he had spent more than £500,000 on his American Express cards in less than a year. He was also found to be financially supporting his other family.Judge Ivins said the £100.6 million settlement was “affordable” for Krupiev and would require him to use only a small part of his assets.In a statement shared through her lawyers at Payne Hicks Beach, Elena Krupieva said she was “pleased” with the decision, which she described as a “period of disturbing insecurity.”
