A millionaire businesswoman has been ordered to meet her estranged husband's "income needs" by handing over more than £6.5million, as well as £60,000 per year.
A judge ruled Louise Backstrom - worth more than £250million - should hand over the cash after her six-year marriage to Martin Wennberg broke down. Since their separation, the couple have been embroiled in a dispute over money in a London private family court.
As reported in the Mirror, Mr Wennberg, 39, gave his arguments in court and said he wanted a financial package worth more than £40m.
But his request was denied when Deputy High Court judge Leslie Samuels ruled against him and said Ms Backstrom, 33, should maintain her £6.5m "housing fund" offer, in accordance with the terms of a pre-marital agreement.
Judge Samuels named the people involved in the case today as he outlined his conclusions in a written judgement.
Judge Samuels, who oversees hearings in the Family Division of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, said: "On any view the standard of living enjoyed by this family before the breakdown of the marriage was extremely high.
"The parties enjoyed the provision of high value London properties, staff, expensive holidays, limitless travel options and, overall, the best that money can provide."
Ms Backstrom should pay around £60,000 per year over the next six years, in addition to the £6.5m, to meet Mr Wennberg's "income needs". The judge was told Ms Backstrom and Mr Wennberg are Swedish but have lived in England for several years.
Ms Backstrom was chairman of the Biltema Foundation and a minority shareholder in Birgma Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, a family business started and controlled by her grandfather, the judge was told. He concluded Ms Backstrom had assets of around £250m - and Mr Wennberg assets of £2m.
"The parties met in Stockholm and formed a relationship in March 2012," the judge said. "When they met, the wife was a student and the husband was working selling luxury watches."
The pair, who separated in 2021, started living together in 2014 and married in 2015. The judge said Mr Wennberg "filed no evidence" and did not provide "any disclosure of his financial position".
He said Mr Wennberg was in breach of orders requiring him to provide financial information.
Detail of the litigation emerged in March, when Ms Backstrom said Mr Wennberg had breached court orders made during the dispute and was in contempt. She asked another judge to impose a jail sentence.
Mr Justice Peel, who considered Ms Backstrom's contempt complaint at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, ruled Mr Wennberg had breached earlier orders made by judges.
A judge is due to make decisions about sentencing later this year.
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