A Russian oligarch at the centre of Britain’s costliest divorce has had his £300m super yacht seized after his former wife won a court order to seize his assets.
Bailiffs acting for the High Court in London took control of the 115m yacht Luna owned by oil and gas tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov when it docked in Dubai.
The 50-man crew have not been allowed to leave the United Arab Emirates and are believed to be staying on the yacht since it was seized on Valentine’s Day.
The Luna – which boasts the largest swimming pool on any of the world’s super yachts – is considered one of the prize assets of 61-year-old Akhmedov.
Two years ago his ex-wife Tatiana was awarded £453m by a divorce judge making the split the most expensive ever in Britain.
Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov, who is at the centre of Britain’s costliest divorce, has had his £300m super yacht Luna seized after his former wife won a court order to seize his assets
Bailiffs acting for the High Court in London took control of the 115m yacht named Luna (pictured), which is owned by oil and gas tycoon Mr Akhmedov when it docked in Dubai
Luna’s 50-man crew, who live on board (pictured) have not been allowed to leave the UAE and are believed to be staying on the yacht since it was seized on Valentine’s Day
The Luna – which boasts the largest swimming pool on any of the world’s super yachts – is considered one of the prize assets of 61-year-old Akhmedov’s £900million fortune
Divorce: Billionaire Akhmedov (left) has been ordered to pay his ex-wife Tatiana (right) £453m by a divorce judge making the split the most expensive ever in Britain
Lawyers for Tatiana earlier this year complained that Akhmedov has failed to hand over the huge settlement leading to a judge to order his worldwide assets be frozen.
Agents acting for the High Court have been tracking the yacht, which was originally built by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovitch and sold to his friend Akhmedov three years ago, for several months.
A source in Dubai said: ‘The yacht was seized when it docked in Dubai and has remained there since February 14th. The crew have not been allowed to leave.’
Billionaire Akhmedov spent more than £50m on a refit for the vessel, which boasts nine decks and has two helipads as well as 10 VIP rooms.
Having been seized agents acting for the High Court will be able to sell the yacht if the businessman fails to meet the obligations of the divorce settlement.
His 41-year-old wife has already received the contents of the couple’s former family home in Surrey – worth almost £2.5 million – his £350,000 Aston Martin and the £90 million art collection.
Akhmedov was ordered to pay his ex a £350m lump sum from his £900m fortune.
Gas and oil tycoon Akhmedov bought the yacht called Luna (pictured) from his close friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2014
The tycoon spent more than £50m on a refit for the vessel, which boasts nine decks and has two helipads as well as 10 VIP rooms and sumptuous bedrooms (pictured)
The boat boasts a huge swimming pool, which is the largest on any of the world’s super yachts
But Mrs Akhmedova said she has ‘to date received nothing from the husband save for some de minimis assets in the UK.’
She had managed to lay her hands on ‘some sporting guns and a valuable motor car’ and her lawyers had ‘arrested’ his helicopter and plane.
The tycoon has previously complained about British courts having jurisdiction over his marriage.
He said he had received ‘no justice’ after his lawyer was forced to disclose full details of his multi-billion pound fortune.
Akhmedov was ordered to pay his ex-wife a £350m lump sum from his £900m fortune
Mr Akhmedov’s legal team are said to be ‘furious’ that the divorce hearing was held in an English court when both parties are Russian citizens who married in 1993, moved to the UK and whose marriage ended in 2000.
A source close to him said: ”The British courts should never have sought to interfere in a former marriage which took place in Russia, between two Russian citizens and which had long been dissolved in that country with generous provision for my ex-wife.
‘In seeking a new settlement of that marriage both my ex-wife, for whose lavish lifestyle I have always provided, used the British courts in an opportunistic bid for financial gain.
A legal source continued: ‘They’re upset that the High Court made it clear from the outset that it wasn’t interested in Russian family law or the decisions of Russian judges.’
A spokesman for Mr Akhmedov was uncontactable.
During their marriage, the couple enjoyed a glitteringly lavish lifestyle, with a £20 million mansion in Surrey, as well as a £27.8 million holiday pad.
Mr Akhmedov, who bought the yacht from his close friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2014, split from the mother of his two children after 20 years of marriage.
The yacht is being held in Dubai as part of Akhmedov’s ongoing divorce battle with his ex-wife
During their marriage, the couple enjoyed a glitteringly lavish lifestyle, sailing around the world on Luna, with a £20 million mansion in Surrey, as well as a £27.8 million holiday pad
The High Court that Mrs Akhmedova was just 17 when she met her ex, and 21 and pregnant when they married in 1993 and moved to England.
‘Mr Akhmedov had nothing like the wealth now enjoyed by him – substantively their wealth was made during the marriage,’ Mr Malek said.
The billionaire – who started out selling sable furs – made his fortune when he sold shares in Russian company, ZAO Northgas, in 2012 for $1.375 billion.
Since the marriage ended in 2014, Mr Malek claimed Mr Akhmedov had ’embarked on a deliberate campaign of trying to defeat the wife’s claims by any means possible.’
He had shifted almost all of his wealth offshore and ‘stripped cash’ out of Britain to stop his wife getting hold of it, added the QC.
Since the divorce, Mrs Akmedova’s lawyers have been trawling the globe in search of her ex-husband’s assets, and Sir James Munby’s ruling today delivered an important boost to their campaign.