A US billionaire has been ordered to sell his £36 million West London mansion and hand the proceeds to his ex-wife after a judge condemned him for attempting to avoid a divorce payout.
Real estate magnate Michael Fuchs, 65, ended his eight-year marriage to former French journalist Alvina Collardeau-Fuchs in March 2020, sparking a lengthy and bitter legal battle over their vast fortune. After racking up £8 million in legal fees in 2022, a London judge ruled that Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs was entitled to more than £28 million in money and assets.
However, the High Court later learned that Mr. Fuchs, once co-owner of New York’s iconic Chrysler Building, had failed to pay millions owed to his ex-wife, attempted to obstruct enforcement of the divorce order, and even used a fake tenancy agreement to conceal assets.
In response, Mr. Justice Poole ruled that the couple’s luxurious former family home—where Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs still resides with their two children—must be sold, with all profits going directly to her. He also ordered the sale of two other properties owned by the couple, with the proceeds similarly awarded to Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs.
Mr. Fuchs, who moved from Germany to the US in the 1990s, told the court his net worth once exceeded $1 billion. His ex-wife, a glamorous former journalist who worked for NBC, CBS, CNN, and French Vogue, gave up her career to stand “always by his side” during their relationship.
The judge criticized Mr. Fuchs’s “evasive” conduct and expressed “no confidence” that he would comply with future court orders. “There is an opportunity to secure some funds to Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs now, and that opportunity should not be missed,” the judge said, insisting on the sale of the family home.
The couple married in 2012 after signing a prenuptial agreement, but their split revealed the full extent of their billionaire lifestyle. Court documents detailed a globe-trotting existence with fully staffed homes in The Hamptons, New York, Paris, Miami, Capri, and London.
Their six-storey West London mansion was described as an “exceptional amenity,” featuring five bedrooms, an indoor heated swimming pool, and a team of household staff including chefs, two full-time nannies, and gardeners.
The divorce also involved fierce disputes over a £24 million art collection, including three Picassos.
In his latest ruling, Mr. Justice Poole enforced the original divorce orders, stating that Mr. Fuchs left the court no choice. “I am not prepared to suspend the enforcement orders because he has given the court no grounds to accept any assurances that he will pay what he owes unless forced to do so,” the judge said. “He has had two years to comply with the Final Order. He knows his liability and can approach her with a proposal to resolve this costly and stressful litigation.”
In 2022, it was revealed that Mr. Fuchs was ordered to pay his estranged wife over £3.5 million annually during the court battle. Mr. Justice Mostyn mandated maintenance payments of around £70,000 a month plus £2.7 million a year for staff and household costs—a total of approximately £3.64 million per year.
At that time, the court noted the couple’s properties included a villa in Antibes, a Miami penthouse, and the lavish £30 million London townhouse where Ms. Collardeau-Fuchs continues to live.
