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Heather calls in the experts to prove Paul DOES have £800million
Last updated at 16:59pm on 27.03.08
Heather Mills has told friends she is employing a team of forensic accountants to examine her former husband's finances
Heather Mills is trying to prove Sir Paul McCartney is worth much more than the £400million he claimed in their divorce battle.
She has told friends she is employing a team of forensic accountants to examine her former husband's finances.
Such information, she hopes, will lead to the divorce ruling being overturned and see more money go to their daughter Beatrice, four.
In her impromptu press conference after the divorce hearing at the High Court, Miss Mills said: "We all know he's worth £800million. He's been worth £800million for the last 15 years."
The Sunday Times Rich List put the former Beatle's wealth last year at £825million.
Miss Mills, who was awarded a £24million settlement, had recruited accountancy firm Lee and Allen in an attempt to discredit Sir Paul's own valuation of his wealth.
In the judgment last week, Mr Justice Bennett confirmed that many of the requests for information made by Lee and Allen were declined by the court.
Miss Mills intends to take on another accountancy firm to examine Sir Paul's music rights, business assets and properties such as his Peasmarsh estate in East Sussex.
She claims to have recordings of her ex-husband telling her he is worth at least £800million.
Dr Philip Beresford, who compiles the Sunday Times Rich List, said: "All I would say is that we were surprised that the valuation of the music rights and business assets were so low.
"Also we wonder what has happened to Linda McCartney's money - she was worth some £150million when she died.
"Also the (McCartney) children all seem to have gone very quiet. They were bleating before about money.
"We were wondering whether he had given them some slabs of money first to keep them quiet and then to keep them off his balance sheet. We were certainly surprised by the figures.
"Obviously it is in the interest of his accountants and himself to keep the figure as low as possible."
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In her impromptu press conference after the divorce hearing at the High Court, Heather said of Sir Paul McCartney: 'We all know he's worth £800million'
Miss Mills has told friends she cannot look after Beatrice on £35,000 a year, the sum awarded at the High Court.
One said: "Heather says she can prove the amount of money that is being given to look after Bea will not last over the year. She is putting it to the test.
"Even with Bea travelling in economy Heather says it's not enough. She is keeping every receipt - including her invoice to her security team - to show that £35,000 is just not sufficient.
"Heather's thinking is that Bea should not be seen to have a different lifestyle when she is with Heather compared to Paul - and she is going about proving that is not possible.
"Heather is hoping Paul will discretely make a payment to her annually rather than want to go back to court and rake all this up again."
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Happier times: The McCartneys' marriage ended in a bitter divorce with Heather winning a £24million settlement
However, a legal source pointed out last night: "Mr Justice Bennett made the ruling based on Heather's need and also based on the standard of living the couple enjoyed when they were together.
"It is quite possible that even if Heather proves that Paul was worth £800million, it would not greatly affect the ruling. It is certainly not a given that she would even be granted leave to appeal."
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Reader views (26)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Greed. There's no other word for it...oh apart from another: cowardly. Blatantly hiding behind her 'charities' as the reason for pursuing this. She is deluded, she cannot see what everyone else clearly can and even believe her own lies.
Macca, what a silly, vain, rich old fool.
- Kitty, London
If Heather wants to waste her money on these experts let her although personally I'd love to get £24m as a divorce settlement.
- Moo, South London, UK
This woman is just unbelievable. Whatever McCartney is worth, it is none of her business, she has been allocated her 4 years worth (debatable), she should just stop moaning about how she has been short-changed and start financially supporting all of her pet charities as promised. She always said that she'd use most of her money in this way so in theory never planned to live the life of a millionaire once settlement was reached anyway.
Her motivation seems to be to have her cake and eat it, i.e. leech more money off her ex so that she can donate big and still live the life of Riley, something which she should not get credit for, as its only too easy to give away that which is not yours.
Either that or she can't bear to be out of the limelight for longer than 24 hours so won't let go of the case, so continues to cling on to the press attention that she claims to despise.
I'm not a die hard fan of McCartney, but do feel sorry for him. I bet he wishes he'd never clapped eyes on her.
- Wendy K, London
I am starting to think Heather enjoys all this hate she is getting. It's
attention and she loves it so she will never stop. This really should
be proof she has no business being around Bea. Bea is being hurt
so much and all Heather thinks of is herself and money, never her
child.
- Liz, USA
You all sound like a pack of hungry hyenas. And I sense a lot of money jealousy in these posts from some of you. Personally, I really enjoyed hearing about Fiona Shackleton having water poured over her head by Heather. I guess quite a few lawyers deserve that treatment. And, lets face it, from one who was young in the sixties, Paul McCartney really is and always has been a big meanie hasn't he. He wasn't the nicest of the Beatles, never did like him much. Wouldn't go to one of his corny concerts if you paid me to do it (well, maybe 5K and I would, as long as I could leave well before the interval). Why doesn't anyone have a go at him? He has a nasty temper, even in court, Justice Bennett admitted that in his judgement. As for Justice Bennett, he wrote a nasty piece about the case in the Times, making a joke out of it all in a very unpleasant way and arrogant, not very professional of you was it, my dear Judge?
He deserves to have his judgement appealed and lovingly criticised by the Court of Appeal. Looks like someone in the legal world might have suggested this to Heather, as, although she said outside the court she would not appeal, she is now keen on exploding his ridiculous assertion (which dopey Justice Bennett believed) that he is only worth £400 million! Those in the know have said £800 million, which I would say must be a conservative estimate for the most successful living Beatle. Others have had bigger divorce awards than her from husbands with far less money.
- Mermaid, UK
I read the whole 58 page court document, its like some kind of wonderful comedy fairy tail. This girl is completely out of her mind, delusional, not in touch with reality, a true to life n-u-t j-o-b. She should spend her extortion money on doctors, not just one doctor, she needs a whole team of them, to follow her around 24hrs a day. This nut job should not be the primary giver of this child. Sir Paul should have that child living with him, and that nut job should only have visitation rights (supervised visitation). I am sure that living with Paul would make a better life for Bea than living with a nut job mother, who will likely prostitute the child, out to talk shows, picture opps and such for money, while the child is growing up. Some day that child will read that 58 page court document and really see what type a person mummy dearest really is. Heather is likely raising a child that will one day hate her, as much as most of UK, USA and Canada does. She should crawl back under the rock she came from. I hope the government has a nice little look through her previous tax records, because by the read of the documents, she does not keep good records.
- Don Wells, Sydney, Nova Scotia ,Canada
You'd think she'd just take her money and shut her mouth if not only for her sake,for her daughters whom she claims this is for, maybe if she stop bleating she wouldn't have to hope Paul might throw her a few extra pound for the "pennyless" wretch of a woman.
- Shirley, Dublin, Ireland
She isn't even entitled to it, most of Sir McCartney's fortune was made before he met her. The fact that she cannot bring up a child on £32,000 a year just goes to show how greedy and out of touch she is. Most couples when they split have a disparity in how they live their lives, they don't have to be the same. In fact having different experiences benefits the child. This isn't about the daughter, this is about more money for Heather Mills. Greedy, greedy, greedy.
- Kim, Lancing, West Sussex
If Paul has been worth £800 million for 15 years, then this proves his fortune was amassed long before he met and married her! She's shooting herself in the foot and making a fool of herself, not that we don't already know this!
- Julie, Essex
The judges decision actually said that it would have made very little difference to his determination if Paul was worth more, so this exercise is pointless. But perhaps she hasn't read it fully. Or perhaps she is just too think to understand it.
- Vicky, London, UK
Why? What the hell does it have to do with her anyway? She has already got far more than she was entitled to. Can anyone shut this revolting woman up?
- Kerry, Hertfordshire
How ungrateful can she get! I feel bad for Little Bea and how nasty her mother carries on, what is she teaching her young daughter by all her INSANE antics. That child should be raised in a stable home, I don't see that happening with Mills.
- Diane, USA
Go away you silly cow no one wants to know about you any more, we were only interested in you when you were married to Sir Paul.
- Maria Gould, London England
Well you have to remember there is a difference between engaging forensic accountants, and having them find what you want.
All she'll end up doing is wasting even more money on fees.
What a ghastly woman.
- Scott, London
That should put an end to the gold digger accusations in no time!
- Ag, London
It doesn't matter what angle the camera is pointing in, it won't hide the fact she's ugly on the inside and it's clearly visible on the outside. She's a fine example of what GREED looks like.
- Ejo, London
This woman really is a parasite, I can only hope that her daughter grows untainted by her venom.
- Ray Davies, Brighton
Whatever ones opinion, I wish to God the press would just print a normal photograph of this woman instead of the demonic ones that are littering the media! Photographs taken at the wrong split second are a fact of life, but you will never find these used in any other press stories (unless they are in Heat magazine). I agree she’s pushed this case too far. But I also believe the press are trying to manipulate our perception of her by using these crazy-eyed photos all the time. I don’t think its necessary.
- Jc, London
£35,000 p.a. not enough to look after a child? Many families of four would be over the moon to have this amount to live on, including holidays.
In light of Miss Mills' previous lawyers experience, I hope her forensic accountants have the sense to take cash in advance!
- Robin, Brentford, UK
This woman just will not go away quietly and is becoming a festering Tick.
- Steve Evans, Malta
For gods sake she can't keep her trap shut. I wish someone would shut her up once & for all.
If she stopped paying out for the security & save some money the security is not to come from the daughters 35k it should come from her money.
There are hundreds of thousand of people in this world that would be grateful for a fraction of the money she has been awarded, the money won't last if she is employing accountants to look into Paul's finances.
Stop bleating woman & be grateful for little mercies
- A, London
A person and child would hardly need to travel economy with that £15+ lump sum she has coming. What a greedy cow. Let's face it - Sir Paul rightly wants to shield his assets from Heather, not his daughter. Anyone in their right mind can see Heather wants to live the lifestyle she's deluded herself into thinking she deserves, and knows that by pushing her 'child's welfare' that's the only way she can get it.
- K, London
What an appalling harridan this women is.
- Squiz, Islington
Considering custody is 50/50 he will have her half the time so £35K sounds fine to me! She is wanting the money for herself not the child. I am sure Paul will have created a Trust Fund for her as well. An iron clad one that this money grabbing cow cannot get her claws into.
- Charlie, London
If she got a £24 million settlement, where is the £35,000 figure coming from? This woman is out to lunch! She's not worried about Bea - Bea would always be taken care of by her father - she's greedily worried about her own pocket.
McCartney should file a restraining order against her!
- Diana, Edinburgh, UK
Before you spend all your money on accountants, Heather, have you remembered to make all those generous charitable contributions you used to talk about?
- Marianne, SW France
