German tennis legend Boris Becker was released from a London bankruptcy court on Wednesday after a judge found he had done “everything reasonably possible” to repay tens of millions of dollars to creditors. .
Although Mr Becker fell far short of repaying the approximately $62.5 million owed to creditors, Insolvency and Enterprise Court Chief Justice Nicholas Briggs said that given Mr Becker’s efforts, it was not appropriate to close the case. He said it was “evil.”
“Bankrupts can range from ‘doing everything possible to make it as difficult as possible and frustrate the trustee’s investigation’ to ‘cooperating, providing information and handing over assets,'” Becker said. clearly on the right side of that line,” Briggs wrote.
Novak Djokovic surpasses Roger Federer to achieve new historic tennis milestone
Mr Becker, 56, was declared bankrupt in 2017 and served eight months in a London prison on charges of fraudulently transferring large sums of money and concealing $3.1 million in assets before returning to Germany two years ago. was forcibly repatriated.
He was found guilty in a London court of four charges under the Bankruptcy Act, including removing property, concealing debts and two counts of failing to disclose property. He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to turn over Grand Slam trophies and Olympic gold medals to a bankruptcy trustee.
Former tennis player Boris Becker is seen arriving at Southwark Crown Court in London on April 8, 2022. The German tennis legend was released from bankruptcy court on May 1, 2024, after a judge found that he had “done everything that was reasonably possible.” “To repay creditors. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, but was released early through an expedited deportation program for foreign nationals.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985, at the age of 17, when she became the first unseeded player to win a singles title at Wimbledon. He then became the No. 1 player in the world, winning the titles at Wimbledon twice, at the Australian Open twice, and at the US Open once.
He retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor, and celebrity poker player.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Becker blamed laziness and misguided advice on his financial problems, which led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly $62.5 million over more than $3.75 million in unpaid loans on his property on the Spanish island of Mallorca. He claimed that it was because of
Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the co-trustees did not oppose his efforts to end the case, but supported him because he still owed about $52.5 million. He said there was no.
Mr Becker’s lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had agreed to a settlement that included a “substantial sum” that the tennis great would have to pay. Doyle said the deal “also includes an outstanding trophy”, adding that Becker “couldn’t do more than what he has done to get us to this point”.
