THE £3M BUSTERS! Tycoon must pay ex fortune after moving in Playboy babe

A MOBILE phone entrepreneur has challenged an “unfair” divorce order after a judge reprimanded him for living with a Playboy model.

Mr Justice Cohen last year ordered Richard Rothschild to pay his former wife nearly £ 3million and told the businessman that he had “brought it on himself” after moving model Sherra Michelle into the couple’s apartment.

Lawyers for the 45- year- old have now told appeal judges that the original judgment had left him broke.

Mr Rothschild, whose original surname was changed on Companies House records in 2016 from Pierzchalo- Piasecki, and Charmaine de Souza had a 21- year relationship after meeting as students.

They married in 2005, had two kids and ran a successful mobile phone business in west London.

But they split four years ago and in 2018 clashed in court after he moved his then girlfriend, Ms Michelle, into the couple’s former home.

The 29- year- old model has a high profile on social media and has appeared in FHM and Sports Illustrated as well as Playboy.

Last December Mr Justice Cohen awarded Ms de Souza, 46, the mobile phone business – valued at £ 1.85m – in addition to other assets worth another £ 1m.

He is now challenging the divorce ruling in the

NEW COUPLE: Richard and Sherra

Court of Appeal in London.

Patrick Chamberlayne QC, appearing for Mr Rothschild, told the Appeal Court that, after debts, including about £ 300,000 of legal fees, the original judge’s order left the wife with capital worth £ 1,760,138, while Mr Rothschild got just £ 23,938.

He claimed that the

NEW LOVE: Model Sherra Michelle

judge had not taken into account Mr Rothschild’s financial needs when he split the couple’s wealth, but only the needs of his ex- wife.

The appeal court heard that Mr Justice Cohen had criticised some of the businessman’s conduct as “lamentable”, saying that he had been “vindictive and irrational”.

The appeal judges said that they would rule at a later date.