Wife Awarded £337 Million Divorce Settlement

A financier's wife has been awarded £337 million in what could be Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlement but her legal team says she may appeal for more.
Sir Chris Hohn and Jamie Cooper-Hohn, founders of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, had fought over assets said to be worth more than £700m.

The sum is thought to be the biggest of its kind made by a judge in England after the couple separated following 17 years of marriage.

Details emerged after a draft ruling was given to the pair's legal teams.

Lawyers met on Thursday to discuss a number of legal issues, including whether the judgement in the case could be made public.

Mrs Justice Roberts said although the hearing had been in private, what had been said could be reported.

A detailed ruling on the dispute has not yet been delivered.

Sir Chris and Mrs Cooper-Hohn attended the hearing, but neither commented as they left court. 

American-born Mrs Cooper-Hohn, 49, had sought half their assets but Sir Chris, 48, offered a quarter, arguing that he had made a special contribution to their wealth throughout their marriage.

Sir Chris, the son of a car mechanic and a legal secretary, graduated from Southampton University before making his fortune as a hedge fund manager.

The couple set up the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, known as CIFF, which works to transform the lives of poor and vulnerable children in developing countries.

The pair, who have four children, including triplets, have reportedly given away around £1bn.

This is not the first high-profile divorce case to result in a large payout. 

The late Russian oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, featured in a multi-million pound case three years ago when it was reported that his former wife Galina Besharova had agreed to accept between £165m and £220m as part of a settlement.

 

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