£300m tycoon who rescued Barclays falls for The Body
... but there’s some comfort for his wife – he has promised to give her HALF his fortune
WHEN it comes to rich and famous couples, they go straight to the top of the list.
Financier Roger Jenkins – one of the world’s wealthiest men – has struck up a relationship with supermodel and businesswoman Elle Macpherson. The pair have attended a dinner together in Washington and friends say they have been quietly seeing each other ‘for some time’.
Jenkins, who is said to be worth £300 million, was credited with saving Barclays Bank at the height of the credit crunch by attracting investment worth billions of pounds from the Qatari royal family.
He split from his 37-year-old wife Diana, a Bosnian-born businesswoman and socialite, three years ago and they are now set to divorce. The separation is said to be amicable and Jenkins has publicly pledged to give Diana half his wealth, saying: ‘We built our fortune together from scratch so why wouldn’t she get half.’
Miss Macpherson – nicknamed The Body – split from her millionaire boyfriend Jeff Soffer in March. The 48-yearold mother of two, who has her own ranges of lingerie and skin care products, is herself worth £40 million.
As well as joining Mr Jenkins in April for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner – and a star-studded cocktail reception afterwards – she has been on holiday with him and his two children, Innis, 12, and Eneya, nine.
Last night a source close to the banker, 56, told The Mail on Sunday the pair were introduced by mutual friends.
‘Roger took Elle to Washington for a dinner and they had a wonderful time,’ the source said.
‘They have been dating for some time but it has all been very below the radar. They are not an obvious match, but they are actually very well suited and get along well.
‘Roger is very charming, and very tall and athletic, which suits Elle. He’s also a big presence with a big ego.’
The romance is believed to be Mr Jenkins’s first since splitting from his wife. A source close to Diana said she was aware of the romance.
‘It’s been going on for much longer than people know about. Diana understands that it’s serious and she’s saying she’s cool with it,’ the source said.
Miss Macpherson previously had a long-term relationship with financier Arpad Busson, with whom she had her children, Arpad, 14, and Aurelius, nine.