Asos Founder and ex-Chief Executive Nick Robertson has been told to hand around a third of a his £220m fortune to his ex-wife after a High Court cash battle.
48 year-old Robertson had argued that former wife Janine should receive no more than £30m worth of assets, although she wanted almost £110m. A judge has concluded that she should get around £70m after a public trial in the Family Division of the High Court.
Mr Justice Holman said he had been asked to decide how much Robertson’s ex-wife should get after the pair failed to settle the dispute. He said a central issue was how the value of some shares and some property owned by Robertson should be divided.
“I strongly urged the parties to settle the case,” said the judge. “But no compromise has resulted,” adding that he hoped both could now move on with their lives.
Robertson, who has won several entrepreneur of the year awards and is the great-grandson of retailer Austin Reed stepped down as boss of Asos in September.
The couple met in 2002, married in 2004 and separated in 2013. Robertson now lives with his former secretary, 15 years his junior.
The judge was told of a property portfolio worth nearly £60m according to Press Association.
He heard that the couple owned homes in London, Oxfordshire and France, plus cars, including a Mercedes, a Bentley and a Ferrari, and boats worth about £2m.
Mrs Robertson had “negligible means” when she began living with Mr Robertson, said the judge.
Holman said Mr Robertson was the “money maker” in the marriage but Mrs Robertson had been an “excellent home-maker and an excellent mother”.
Both had “contributed equally” when living together, said the judge. But, he said, Mr Robertson had worked on his business project before marrying.
