INXS Manager Triumphs in Court Over £27.6m Secret Gift from Mother to Ex-Husband
A former manager of the iconic rock band INXS has emerged victorious in a dramatic court battle against her ex-husband, a British SAS major, and her own multimillionaire mother over a staggering £27.6million secret gift. The case, which has exposed deep family rifts and financial maneuvering, reached its conclusion at the Court of Appeal.
Family Fortune and Estrangement
Maria-Christina Copinger-Symes, 54, is part of the wealthy Perez de la Sala dynasty, which amassed a fortune exceeding £550million through shipping operations in Australia. Despite this privileged background, she has been estranged from her family for years, with relations so strained that she was reportedly told not to attend her father's funeral in 2022.
Her marriage to British SAS major James Copinger-Symes, 57, began in 1998. The couple established their family home in Chelsea, London, a property valued at over £3million, and raised four children together. Maria-Christina also had a notable career stint as the European manager for Australian rock band INXS, fronted by the late Michael Hutchence.
The Secret Gift and Divorce Settlement
The couple's separation in 2022 led to a court-approved divorce settlement where Maria-Christina agreed to pay her ex-husband £1.2million, leaving her with £5.25million. However, the situation escalated dramatically when she discovered that her mother, Felicite Perez De La Sala, had secretly gifted approximately £27.6million of family money to her son-in-law after the split.
This revelation prompted Maria-Christina to seek about £14million of that gifted amount, arguing that the non-disclosure of this impending windfall had distorted the original divorce proceedings. In August 2024, she won a Family Court ruling that overturned the financial order on grounds of material non-disclosure by her ex-husband.
Court of Appeal Battle
Her mother and former husband subsequently appealed this decision, contending that the gift was non-matrimonial and would never have been made if Maria-Christina could claim a share. They argued that the family's feelings toward her amounted to hate, stemming from her taking sides against them in an earlier Singapore court battle over family wealth.
Today, three senior judges—Lady Justice Andrews, Lord Justice Moylan, and Lord Justice Nugee—dismissed both appeals. Lady Justice Andrews stated that suppressing information about the expected gift created a seriously distorted picture of the parties' financial circumstances, justifying the setting aside of the divorce order for reconsideration.
Background of the Feud
The court heard that the estrangement between Maria-Christina and her parents began in 2017, triggered by disputes over a London property and what her mother described as your ultimate betrayal of the whole family during the Singapore wealth fight. Her parents withdrew all financial and emotional support, excluding her from their wills.
In contrast, Major Copinger-Symes had subsumed her position as a member of the family, leading to his in-laws taking his side in the divorce and ultimately gifting him the £27.6million. The 2024 ruling found that he likely knew about this gift before signing the divorce settlement, constituting non-disclosure.
Legal Arguments and Outcome
During the appeal, barristers for the husband and mother argued that the gift was intended solely for him, with no basis for Maria-Christina to benefit. They suggested that if she could claim a share, the mother should be able to reclaim the money as gifted by mistake.
However, Lady Justice Andrews countered that the gifts were outright transfers, making the money the husband's to use as he wished, even if court compulsion later required him to pay some to his ex-wife. She emphasized that any mistaken belief by the mother was not causative of the gifts, as she clearly intended them for the husband alone.
With both appeals dismissed, Maria-Christina Copinger-Symes can now proceed with her claim to a portion of the £27.6million gift. The case highlights complex intersections of family dynamics, wealth management, and legal disclosure in high-stakes divorce proceedings.
Maria-Christina, who now runs the high-end scent and candle company Lilou et Loic, has secured a significant legal victory that may reshape her financial future and ongoing family relations.
