Billionaire’s son sued by divorcee mother tells of ‘absolute nightmare’

A Russian billionaire’s son who has been sued by his mother after becoming embroiled in his parents’ £450 million divorce battle says he is living an “absolute nightmare”.

London trader Temur Akhmedov, 27, told a judge that “multi-millionaire” Tatiana Akhmedova seemed to have forgotten that he was her son.

He said he understands that the problems faced by a wealthy man’s son may seen “trivial”, but told Mrs Justice Gwynneth Knowles that his life was not “without troubles”.

Ms Akhmedova, 48, who describes herself as “Russian by origin” but lives in London, is trying to get her hands on around £450 million she is owed by businessman Farkhad Akhmedov, 65, following the breakdown of their 20-year marriage.

She has taken legal action in Britain and abroad in a bid to trace assets she says her ex-husband has tried to put beyond her reach.

Ms Akhmedova has also sued Temur Akhmedov, their eldest son.

She says he has helped his father hide assets and owes her nearly £70 million.

Mrs Justice Knowles is overseeing the dispute between mother and son at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

“It seems that my mother has forgotten not only that I am her son, but also a son who has been placed in a very difficult, and personal, conflict,” Temur Akhmedov told the judge, in a written statement.

“My mother might think this is a bit of fun and that afterwards everything between us will be sorted, but it will not.

“To me it is an absolute nightmare.

“I do not just blame my mother for the situation I am in.

“My father has not paid her what he was ordered to pay her.

“That is not my fault.”

He said his father was “not the easiest act to follow”.

“I understand that the troubles of a wealthy man’s son may seem trivial or disingenuous to the outside world,” he said.

“I admit financially in the past I have not been left to want while many people suffer with financial problems.

“That does not mean that my life is without troubles.”

He said his mother was “herself a multi-millionaire” and added: “I am not suggesting that she should not have even more money, but the person she should get it from is my father not me.”

Ms Akhmedova said she loved her son and hoped their relationship could be rebuilt.

“My discovery of the true extent of Temur’s involvement in putting assets beyond my reach came as a real shock and was extremely saddening,” she said, in a statement.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision to join Temur to the proceedings, however in circumstances where both he and Farkhad were taking all available steps to prevent enforcement of the judgment debt, I felt I had no choice.”

The judge has heard that Temur Akhmedov was given a £29 million London flat when aged 19 and lost more than £35 million, given to him by his father, trading in stocks and shares while at university.

Temur Akhmedov denies allegations against him and says his mother’s claim should be dismissed.

Barrister Robert Levy QC, who is leading Temur Akhmedov’s legal team, accepted that his client had “done some wicked things”.

But he said Temur Akhmedov was not his father’s “lieutenant” and Farkhad Akhmedov was the “ultimate decision-maker”.

He described Ms Akhmedova as “quite a slippery witness”.

Ms Akhmedova was awarded a 41.5% share of her ex- husband’s £1 billion-plus fortune by a London judge in late 2016.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said she should receive £453 million – lawyers say the payout is the biggest of its kind.

But judges have heard that she has so far received about £5 million and Farkhad Akhmedov has not voluntarily paid anything.

Mr Akhmedov says because he and his ex-wife are not British, and were not married in Britain, a British judge should not have made a decision.