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Judge Asks What ‘Africa’s Youngest Billionaire’ Is Worth

  • Judge said Thakkar assets are in complex financial structures
  • Ruling shows difficulty in assessing net worth in divorce

Ashish Thakkar.

Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg
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Ashish Thakkar, who co-founded Africa banking conglomerate Atlas Mara Ltd. with ex-Barclays Plc head Bob Diamond, is a 35-year-old "billionaire" whose divorce fight has been prolonged thanks to a complex web of offshore assets.

The question of how much Thakkar is worth -- he says 445,532 pounds ($541,000) while his wife claims his wealth is far greater -- is coming under scrutiny in a U.K. divorce court. A judge in the London family court has denied Thakkar’s request for a final divorce decree until a determination of his real worth.