£100m Ocado tycoon wages High Court divorce battle
THE multimillionaire boss of Ocado and his ex-wife faced each other across court yesterday, as they began one of Britain’s biggest divorce battles.
Tim Steiner, 46, who is reportedly worth around £100 million, separated from the mother of his four children, Belinda Steiner, 45, following more than 14 years of marriage.
The couple, whose marital home was a £15 million property in Highgate, north London, were married at Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue in 1999. Mr Steiner helped found the online supermarket delivery service the following year.
Mr Steiner, who has said he was faithful to his wife until their marriage collapsed, was last year pictured walking hand-in-hand with his new girlfriend, Patrycja Pyka, a Polish model who is almost 20 years his junior.
The tycoon has filed for divorce and yesterday arrived at the High Court in London with the leading divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton – who represented Sir Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills – for the first day of the legal battle.
High Court judge Mr Justice Bodey ordered that while it can be reported that the court case has begun, details of the hearing must be kept secret until he delivers his ruling.
Mr Steiner went to Haberdashers’ Aske’s school in Elstree, Hertfordshire, before reading economics, finance and accountancy at Manchester University. He worked as a bond trader for Goldman Sachs in London, New York and Hong Kong for eight years before quitting to launch Ocado. His ex-wife formerly worked in PR. As well as their Highgate property, the Steiners owned a chalet in the Three Valleys in France.