Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s richest men, is facing the prospect of one of the world’s biggest-ever divorce payouts after his ex-wife won the right to sue him in England for a slice of his £16

billion fortune.

The Court of Appeal ruled that Natalia Potanina can pursue her claim in the UK, overturning an earlier High Court decision that had dismissed her case.

Potanina, who married Potanin in 1983 and has three children with him, says she was left with just £30 million after their divorce in 2014—less than 1% of the couple’s wealth. She argues she deserves half of her ex-husband’s stake in Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel, along with half the dividends he’s collected since their split, plus ownership of an extravagant Russian mansion known as “The Autumn House,” worth about £111 million.

Potanin, the chief executive of Norilsk Nickel and once Russia’s second-richest man, insists she has already received a fair settlement, closer to £63 million. His legal team has also argued that she has little connection to England and accused her of “divorce tourism.”

But the Court of Appeal disagreed, saying Potanina had “very largely severed her ties with Russia” and that the difference between what she received there and what she might expect under English law was too significant to ignore.

Lord Justice Moylan, Lady Justice Falk, and Lord Justice Cobb concluded that she has a legitimate case to claim a much larger share, and should not be limited by her former husband’s arguments.

The couple’s marriage ended in 2014, though they disagree about when they truly separated—Potanin says 2007, while Potanina claims it was 2013.

Potanin himself has been under UK sanctions since 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which could complicate the case further.

This ruling marks another major step in a legal battle that has stretched across years and courts. Potanina first launched her claim in London in 2019, only to see it rejected by the High Court. That decision was overturned in 2021, before Potanin appealed to the Supreme Court, which briefly swung things back in his favor. Today’s Court of Appeal decision puts the case firmly back on track.

Her lawyer, Frances Hughes, called the ruling “a second vindication” of Potanina’s fight, adding:

“Our client is delighted that the Court of Appeal has again recognised the strength of her case. She hopes the matter can now be resolved without further delay.”

If Potanina succeeds, the case could result in one of the largest divorce settlements in history. Photo by council.gov.ru, Wikimedia commons.