Ex-wife and children of late tech tycoon win £2m share of his fortune after fight with lover
The ex-wife and children of a late tech tycoon have won a £2 million share of his fortune so they can buy the “massive, amazing house” in Australia that he had promised them.
Matt Tomon made his fortune through an IT company set up with his first wife, Louisa Simonetta, with the couple living frugally as they built the business.
But when he died suddenly, aged 38 in 2016, without a will, his wealth was left in the hands of his second wife, 47-year-old Ruby Geetha Lovell-Tomon.
Ms Simonetta, 42, who divorced Mr Tomon in 2013 , was left empty-handed and raising their two young sons alone, and sued for a share of her ex-husband’s fortune.
The High Court heard he sold the business, Green Fields Technology Limited, for £5.2 million shortly before his death, with the proceeds being paid into Mrs Lovell-Tomon’s account.
She originally argued the money was an “outright gift” to her and should not be split, but has reached a settlement, with £950,000 going to Mr Tomon’s sons and Ms Simonetta receiving money and property worth almost £1 million.
The court was shown emails in which Mr Tomon, who remained on good terms with his ex-wife, promised to buy a dream home for her and his children, whom he also said would be privately educated.
“I am told that it will allow Louisa to buy a house in Australia for them to live in,” said Mr Justice Williams yesterday. “I am also told that the sums will enable the boys to be privately educated, which apparently was something that Matt also wanted.”
Ms Simonetta had been a colleague of Mr Tomon before they started dating in 2003, two years before they set up the IT company together. The judge said the family “lived fairly frugally” as Ms Simonetta raised the family in Putney while Mr Tomon grew the business.
The court heard he told Ms Simonetta he had met someone else and asked for a divorce in 2012.
Mrs Lovell-Tomon had claimed her husband was not “domiciled” in the UK as he was American and they planned to relocate to the Bahamas or the US. But she dropped her opposition when they struck a deal over the estate.