Billionaire Tycoon Ordered to Sell £36M London Mansion in Divorce Fight

A Billionaire's Legal Battle Over Divorce Settlement

A US billionaire has been ordered to sell his £36 million west London mansion and hand the proceeds to his ex-wife after a judge criticized him for attempting to avoid a divorce payout. Real estate tycoon Michael Fuchs, 65, split from his wife, former French journalist Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs, in March 2020, ending their eight-year marriage and sparking a contentious courtroom battle over their vast fortune.

In 2022, after spending at least £8 million on legal fees, a London judge ruled that Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs was entitled to more than £28 million in money and assets. However, the High Court later heard that Mr. Fuchs had failed to pay millions owed to his ex-wife, attempted to "frustrate or impede enforcement" of the divorce order, and even used a "sham" tenancy agreement to hide his assets.

Now, Mr. Justice Poole has ruled that the couple's opulent former family home, where Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs still lives with their two children, must be sold, with the profits going directly to her. The judge issued strong criticisms of the billionaire's "evasive" behavior and stated he had "no confidence" that Mr. Fuchs would comply with future court orders.

"There is an opportunity to secure some funds to (Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs) now, and that opportunity should not be missed," the judge said, ordering the sale of the family home. He also ruled that two other properties belonging to the couple should be sold, with the proceeds again handed to Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs.

Mr. Fuchs, who moved from Germany to the US in the 1990s, told the High Court during the legal battle that his fortune once topped $1 billion. His ex-wife, a glamorous former journalist who worked for NBC, CBS, CNN, and French Vogue, gave up her career when she began dating Mr. Fuchs to be, as she said, "always by his side."

The pair married in 2012 after signing a pre-nuptial agreement, but their separation exposed the full extent of their billionaire lifestyle. Court papers revealed a globe-trotting existence with fully staffed homes in The Hamptons, New York, Paris, Miami, Capri, and London.

Their six-storey west London mansion was described as an "exceptional amenity," boasting five bedrooms, an indoor heated swimming pool, and a team of household staff, including chefs, two full-time nannies, and gardeners. The divorce has also seen fierce arguments over a £24 million art collection, including three Picassos.

In his latest ruling, Mr. Justice Poole agreed to enforce the original divorce orders, saying Mr. Fuchs had left the court with no choice. "I am not prepared to suspend the enforcement orders because (he) has given the court no grounds on which to accept any assurances from him that he will pay what he owes unless forced to do so," said the judge.

"He has had two years to comply with the Final Order. However, he knows what his liability now is and he can approach (her) with a proposal for payment of a lump sum to resolve this hugely expensive and stressful litigation."

Back in 2022, it emerged that the billionaire was ordered to pay his estranged wife more than £3.5 million a year while the High Court battle played out. Mr. Justice Mostyn ruled that Mr. Fuchs must cover around £70,000 a month in maintenance, plus £2.7 million a year in staff and household costs—a total of about £3.64 million annually.

At that time, the court heard the couple had enjoyed homes around the world, including a villa in Antibes, a penthouse in Miami, and the lavish £30 million London townhouse where Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs still lives. Mr. Fuchs, described as having an "extraordinarily successful career" with a "very significant amount of prime Midtown Manhattan real estate," was told to continue paying until a final settlement was agreed.