The ex-wife of Arkady Rotenberg challenged the validity of their prenuptial agreement

The ex-wife of Arkady Rotenberg, who is widely viewed as one of Russia’s most influential businessmen, challenged the validity of their prenuptial agreement in Moscow’s Tushinsky District Court, and may be entitled to a substantial portion of the businessman’s wealth, his lawyer Philipp Ryabchenko said on Friday.

The hearing is set for September 4, 2013.

Rotenberg divorced his wife Natalia last April, and now she challenges the validity of a prenuptial agreement. If her claim were to be granted she may be entitled to half of the wealth Rotenberg has accrued since they got together, according to Ryabchenko. The lawyer expressed doubt that the agreement would be found void. “The prenuptial agreement meets all the requirements of the legislation; was made on a notary form. There is no reason to declare it invalid,” Ryabchenko said.

Lawyer Kira Voronkova who represents Rotenberg’s ex-wife disagrees. “This agreement places Natalia into disadvantaged material position in comparison to Rotenberg after their divorce. Besides, they have two kids, and the court should take into consideration the interests of under-aged,” she said.

According to his profile on Forbes’ list of billionaires, Rotenberg’s net worth is valued at approximately $3.3 bln, as of March 2013. According to the profile, he began acquiring Gazprom subsidiaries, and then built them into Stroygazmontazh Corporation, a major construction contractor and one of Gazprom’s biggest steel pipe suppliers.