A Manhattan hedge fund, one of the richest men in the world, paid his ex-wife over $1 billion in a divorce settlement after she left him for a gallery owner, shocking New York City high society.
Israel Englander, 74, is said to have paid Caryl Englander, 64, over $1 billion after they privately settled their divorce after 40 years of marriage.
“Caryl is happy to have her issues resolved privately and amicably. The agreement does not allow either party to discuss the terms,” her attorney, Peter E. Bronstein, told Page Six.
Caryl left her husband, who is worth $11.3 billion, for Swiss gallery owner Dominique Levy, 55, which reportedly sent Israel into a tantrum and he “terrorized” the women after he was “deeply humiliated” that she saw him left for a woman.
Their relationship ended in 2016 because of Israel’s “repeated infidelities with Caryl,” she claimed in a civil lawsuit. She also cited in the lawsuit that she fell in love with Dominique.
Israel Englander, 74, is said to have paid Caryl Englander, 64, over $1 billion after they privately settled their divorce after 40 years of marriage
Caryl (right) left her husband, who is worth $11.3 billion, for Swiss gallery owner Dominique Levy, 55, (left), who scandalized New York’s high society, which reportedly sent Israel into a tantrum and he the women “terrorized” and “forced”. Caryl signs a contract after marriage.
The lawsuit was later dropped just weeks before their divorce was finalized.
Before their settlement, Caryl alleged that Israel hired private investigators, made bogus calls to report them to the NYPD for child molestation, and launched a media smear campaign.
The billionaire “set out to terrorize the two women to force a break in their relationship, believing he could intimidate Caryl into ‘waking up’ and coming back to him,” the filing reads.
In court documents obtained by the New York Post, the two claim the angry ex-husband launched a “year-long coercive campaign” against the two women.
They claim Englander hired private investigators to track and photograph them; their emails hacked; and interfered in their family life, with the Englishman outing Caryl and calling Levy a “Viper” in front of his and Caryl’s children.
“Israel attacked Caryl in front of her children and accused Dominique of destroying her family. And he put a price tag on Caryl’s happiness: He told their children that if Caryl and Israel separated or divorced, Caryl’s relationship with Dominique would cost them $450 million in back taxes,” the lawsuit reads.
She eventually signed the post-marital agreement “under duress” after not eating or sleeping due to stress, which resulted in her forfeiting “billions of dollars in joint marital property she and Israel had built up in more than 40 years of marriage.” .
Her ex-husband gained control of “95 percent of the value of their marital property.”
The duo claimed in their court filing that Englander paid to have them “aggressively” followed and monitored in New York and abroad.
Their relationship ended in 2016 because of Israel’s “repeated infidelities with Caryl,” she claimed in a civil lawsuit
Her new girlfriend lives at 432 Park Avenue (high rise, medium building) where she recently bought an apartment for $91 million
In August 2017, the two women went to Italy and were pursued by private detectives, they claim.
Caryl and Levy accuse Englander of ordering “almost constant” surveillance and claim he “appears to know exactly where Caryl is going and what she is doing at all times,” the court documents say.
The court documents allege that Englander “intended to punish Caryl and deprive her of her rightful, equitable share of the billions of dollars in marital wealth he and Caryl had accumulated over the course of their marriage.”
They allege he also attempted to “destroy” Levy’s gallery by hiring a company to obtain confidential information from her business, falsely alleging that she committed tax fraud “to US authorities in order to avoid an unjustified government investigation.” to cause against them”. suit claimed.
Widely regarded as one of New York’s most influential art dealers, Levy currently works at an Upper East Side gallery that she owns, in addition to galleries in London’s Mayfair, Paris and Hong Kong.
Levy and her friend accuse Englander of trying to ruin her reputation by defaming her to senior figures at Christie’s and Sotheby’s and even threatening to stop selling his lucrative business to the auction houses if they continue with her work together.
The Englishman married in 1975 and share three adult children (pictured: Caryl with her children and grandchildren)
According to the lawsuit, Englander attempted to arm the media against Levy by tipping off reporters about alleged wrongdoing.
The court documents claim he tried to “get the media to attack Dominique” by having a Bloomberg reporter send Levy several inquiries related to confidential business transactions – and forcing Levy to hire a media relations specialist.
In September 2017, Levy was reported to the NYPD for abusing their children, ages 7 and 14 – and Levy and Caryl claim Englander was behind the false allegations.
The agency conducted several home and school checks on her children and had them strip to check for bruises, the filing said.
She was eventually forced to file a lawsuit against the NYPD and the New York Administration for Children’s Services to protect her family, the lawsuit states.
Caryl Englander further alleges that her ex-husband forced her to sign documents without her lawyer being present and concealed the true value of his wealth.
She said he promised to leave her alone if she signed the divorce settlement: in 2020 she kept to it.
Dominque owns the Dominique Levy Gallery on Madison Avenue (pictured)
Caryl claims that her ex-husband “has more than 95 percent of the value of their marital assets and has near-total control over what few assets and funds are available to Caryl.”
Friends and her lawyers advised her not to sign, Caryl claimed.
The couple married in 1975 and have three adult children.
Born in Brooklyn, Israel worked on Wall Street before founding Millennium Management in 1990. Israel and his former wife were high society philanthropists. The couple gave generously to hospitals and cancer charities, as well as Jewish organizations, and were noted patrons of the arts, sponsoring exhibitions at the Guggenheim and MoMA.
In December 2017, Caryl bought a $60 million penthouse in a high-rise building on Park Avenue overlooking Central Park that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez also called home.
He stayed in the $71 million Park Avenue mansion they bought in 2004.
The couple also own a $25 million waterfront estate in Connecticut and a $38 million townhouse on East 75th Street that they purchased from the Sackler family.
They also listed two Miami Beach penthouses for $45 million.
Israel also owned a $22 million apartment in Paris.
Dominque recently bought a $91 million condo at the elusive 432 Park Avenue on the 92nd floor overlooking Central Park.