Putin ally who declared poverty had 217m of property, UK judge finds

"A political ally of Vladimir Putin who declared poverty to a London divorce court had 217m worth of property and land in London and Moscow as well as 21m in investments and a 4m art collection, a judge has found. Vladimir Sloutsker, 69, who died in September from cancer, fought until the end to hide his assets despite previously enjoying a lifestyle consistent with extreme wealth with his ex-wife and children, including a nine-bedroom 45m family home in South Kensington in central London."

"David Allison, the solicitor representing Alona Sloutsker, said: Unfortunately, Mr Sloutsker's obstructive behaviour continued after trial until his death in late September. Neither he nor his estate has paid a penny to his former wife and prior to his death he disappeared, cutting off all contact with his young children. Sloutsker made a vast fortune through his ownership of the Russian investment vehicle Finvest and he was a senator representing the Chuvash Republic in the Russian parliament until 2010."

Vladimir Sloutsker died in September after a battle with cancer. A judge found his estate held about £217m in property and land in London and Moscow, £21m in investments, and a £4m art collection despite him declaring poverty in a London divorce court. The family court made the judgment public because of his status as a former Russian senator and repeated litigation misconduct. The judge ordered the estate to pay £25m to his ex‑wife Alona, just under 60% of readily liquid assets, plus over £1m in maintenance arrears and legal fees. Sloutsker accrued wealth through ownership of Finvest and claimed his assets had been stolen, leaving him unable to pay his London mortgage.

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