Eco-warrior Dale Vince claims he is victim of 'character assassination' as ex-wife wins £40million mega-pay-out after divorce
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Labour donor and green energy tycoon Dale Vince has claimed he is a victim of "character assassination" after his ex-wife was awarded more than £40million in their divorce settlement by the High Court.
Kate Vince, 50, will receive the substantial sum following a dispute over how their matrimonial assets should be split, which was heard in December last year.
Lawyers for Kate had argued that her ex-husband, 63, was giving away their shared assets, including more than £5.4million in donations to the Labour Party between April 2022 and May 2024.
In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Cusworth ruled that Dale could pay the settlement in three tranches: £13.94million, £14.49million and £15.08million, including interest.
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince outside the Royal Courts of Justice,
PA
The total payment of £43.51million will begin with the first instalment due by April 30, 2025, followed by annual payments.
The judge noted that including "the value of non-business assets she is retaining", Ms Vince would receive £45.64million in total. He deemed this "an appropriate outcome for these parties".
Kate's lawyers claimed her ex-husband had been giving away matrimonial assets in a "wanton and reckless" fashion, including £8.4million to his Green Britain Foundation and £100,000 to the Cheltenham Muslim Association.
Dale defended his Labour Party donations, telling the court he saw the General Election as an opportunity for a Government committed to net zero. Justice Cusworth ruled the donations "can be seen to have been timed to precede the recent General Election" and were made when the company's "coffers had been filled up."
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Ecotricity founder Dale Vince
PA
The judge concluded Dale's motivation was "political, and not related to these proceedings".
The couple disputed their separation timeline, with Dale claiming they split in 2021, while Kate alleged their physical and emotional relationship continued until February 2022.
Justice Cusworth noted that after March 2021, when Dale said he no longer loved his wife, they "continued to be married, to live effectively under the same roof as a domestic unit, and also on occasions continued their physically intimate relationship".
The judge added that despite Dale buying a houseboat in late 2022, "by continuing to sleep with her he would only have encouraged her in the hope that their marriage might be restored".
After the judgment, Dale said his ex-wife would receive "£12million less than I first offered her four years ago".
"Along with her legal team she has wasted years of time, not just our own but that of the court," he added.
Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Dale reflected on marriage itself, saying: "If I told you the truth I would tell you that I don't believe in marriage and that the two times in my life I have done it I did it for my partner at the time for whom it was important."
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