Billionaire oil tycoon who hid his second family for 20-years faces jail for not paying legal fees in multi-million-pound divorce fight with ex-wife



Thursday, June 19, 2025 - The wife of a Russian oil tycoon has demanded her husband go to jail after he allegedly failed to pay her legal fees amid their multi-million-pound divorce.

Mikhail Kroupeev, the non-executive chairman of energy company Gulfsands, appeared at the High Court in London following the collapse of his 36-year marriage.

His wife, Elena Kroupeeva found out in 2023 that he had a second family in Russia, allegedly hidden from her for 20 years.

The divorce fight, potentially one of the most expensive in British legal history, came to light on Wednesday as Ms Kroupeeva applied for her “exceedingly wealthy” husband to be jailed for contempt of court.

She says he has “brazenly” flouted court orders, blocked efforts to value his business empire, refused to pay maintenance to his wife or help with legal fees, and now allegedly owes more than £800,000.

“He clearly considers himself to be above the law of England and Wales”, Ms Kroupeeva’s barrister Justin Warshaw KC told the High Court.

“His conduct reflects a concerning pattern of evasion, contempt for judicial authority, and refusal to meet his responsibilities.”

The tycoon’s barrister, Michael Glaser KC, told the court that allegations about a secret family are “denied” and also “not relevant” to the hearing.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr Justice Harrison found Mr Kroupeev in contempt for a series of failures to comply with court orders, including paying £195,789 from his fortune for his wife’s legal expenses and offering up his collection of luxury watches.

The judge concluded Mr Kroupeev’s “neglect or refusal (to comply with orders) is willful”.

The judge adjourned sentencing of the tycoon until next week, and ordered that he attend court in person.

Mrs Kroupeeva says her husband used his vast wealth to bankroll their life of lavish holidays, designer clothes, and lavish spending spree.

She believes their family fortune could run to “hundreds of millions of pounds”, but he is accused of now concealing his business and financial interests while offering her a £300,000 lump sum settlement along with ownership of two properties.

“He has approached her claim as if they are playing a game”, said Mr Warshaw. “It’s a game in which he clearly intends to cheat.”

The court heard the couple met in Russia in 1988 and moved to the UK in 1993, becoming naturalised citizens seven years later.

Mr Kroupeev, described as “exceedingly wealthy” in court papers, made his fortune in the oil and gas industry in Russia, working alongside a close associate of former President Boris Yeltsin.

Mr Warshaw said the couple have two children, now aged 20 and 28, who they sent to private school in London.

He said Mr Kroupeev started a “secret relationship” with a woman in Russia and they had a child in 2008, who was later sent to the same UK private school, it is said.

“In late 2023, after a 36-year marriage, the parties separated after Ms Kroupeeva learned of (his) second family”, Mr Warshaw told the court, in written submissions.

“The breakdown of the marriage was, to say the least, tempestuous.”

Mrs Kroupeeva has accused her husband of blocking valuations of his companies and billion-dollar energy deals, while allegedly moving his financial interests through tax havens in Guernsey and the Seychelles.

The court heard the couple lived in a luxurious seven-bedroom £15 million home in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, and have a £22.5 million property portfolio including homes in Russia and holiday villas in Portugal and Turkey.

She tells of “opulent” holidays during their marriage, including private jet globe-trotting to South Africa, Iceland, Argentina, Mauritius, and Europe, five-star hotel stays, skiing in Val D’Isere, and $200,000 Christmas vacations to Mustique.

“A large motivation for travelling privately would be to ensure that the family dogs could go on holiday with the family”, said Mr Warshaw. “A return flight to their home in Portugal would be around £22,000.”

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