Elena Kroupeev Wants Husband Mikhail Kroupeev Jailed Over £837k Legal Bill in Bitter Divorce

The wife of Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Kroupeev has asked a High Court judge in London to send her husband to jail. She claims he failed to pay her legal fees during their high-profile divorce case.

Elena Kroupeev says her husband owes her over £837,000. This includes a court order from February, which demanded Mikhail pay her £195,000 towards her legal costs. But her lawyers say he has refused to pay and has not revealed full details about his assets.

Secret Life and Missing Millions

The couple had been married for 36 years, but Elena discovered in 2023 that Mikhail had been living a secret life with another family in Russia. She filed for a financial settlement in July 2024.

During the court hearing on Wednesday, her lawyers said only a prison sentence would be enough to punish Mikhail’s refusal to obey court orders. They added that a freezing order was already in place on £38 million worth of his assets.

Mikhail Kroupeev is the non-executive chairman of Gulfsands Petroleum, a company with oil export contracts from Syria. He also has stakes in Jupiter Energy (Kazakhstan) and Waterford Finance, which focuses on energy projects.

A Life of Luxury

The Kroupeevs lived a wealthy lifestyle. Their assets include:

• A £15 million mansion in north London

• Holiday homes in Portugal and Turkey

• Properties in Russia worth £10 million

• Frequent holidays on private jets (with their dogs)

Elena’s lawyer, Justin Warshaw, said Mikhail made his fortune through his ties to former Russian energy minister Yuri Shafranik. He argued that Mikhail should be held in contempt of court.

Mikhail’s lawyer, Michael Glaser, tried to delay the hearing and said the accusations about Mikhail’s private life were not relevant. But the judge refused to postpone the case.

Elena was present in court, while Mikhail joined via video call from Cyprus.

The hearing is still ongoing.