Goldman Sachs director 'offered 28-year-old Slovakian £500,000 to leave her pensioner husband'



A millionaire banker offered an escort girl £500,000 to leave her pensioner husband, a court has heard.

Yann Samuelides, 35, a managing director of Goldman Sachs, became so infatuated with the Slovakian escort girl that he wanted to make her his wife.

And being a money man, he calculated that 28-year-old Alzbeta Holmokova was worth £500,000.

Arriving at court: Goldman Sachs banker Yann Samuelides (right) allegedly promised £500,000 to Alzbeta Holmokova (left) if she left her husband

Retired: Ms Holmokova's husband Denis Morley said Mr Samuelides threatened to kill himself if she stopped seeing him

He offered her this amount to marry him, the court was told.

He also threatened to kill himself if she stopped seeing him, Miss Holmokova's estranged husband claimed during a bitter divorce hearing.

Denis Morley, a 67-year-old retired businessman, told the court the banker had showered his young wife with gifts after becoming her client.

He had even rented a luxurious flat for her before offering his £500,000 marriage proposal, he said.

'He bribed her to leave me,' he said. 'My wife had told him that she loved and respected her husband. She said she was happy and had to refuse him.

'He threatened to commit suicide if she stopped seeing him. So I said, "You'd better keep seeing him".

'His response was, "Here's a £5,000 diamond ring, here's a £1,500 handbag and £3,500 cash".

'Eventually he said, "Leave your husband and come and live with me and I'll give you £500,000".'

Miss Holmokova filed for divorce from her husband in February this year, citing his unreasonable behaviour.

She is understood not to have asked for any financial settlement.

Mr Morley, who is contesting the divorce petition, has allegedly admitted once threatening to kill Mr Samuelides.

'She has told me that she's with him for the money,' he told the hearing. 'She's not going to get the £500,000 unless she marries him.'

Mr Samuelides, who was born in France, accompanied Miss Holmokova to the divorce hearing at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court in central London, which was adjourned until next month. They both refused to comment.

In Toulouse, where Mr Samuelides was educated, a friend described him as 'a romantic with a heart of gold'.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: 'He's always been a hardworking high achiever who enjoys the good things in life.

'This all sounds very sleazy and not like Yann at all.

'He's a decent person.'



Mr Morley, from Coventry, married Miss Holmokova in 2002 at Coventry Registry Office when she was 21.

It is not known if the couple also met through her work as an escort girl.

Mr Samuelides was appointed a managing director at Goldman Sachs, one of the world's oldest and largest investment banking firms, in December 2007.

At the time he was praised for his leadership abilities.

A spokesman for the firm last night refused to comment on the divorce case.