Once living large with designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle, disgraced property developer Elie Taktouk is now preparing for another showdown in court.
The 50-year-old businessman, known not just for his fraud conviction but also for losing his wife to football icon Cesc Fabregas, is due to face a fresh legal challenge this November to decide if he can keep what’s left of his wealth.
Taktouk, who was jailed in 2021 after being found guilty of 11 fraud charges, used millions intended for a lavish property renovation to fund a life of extravagance—including his high-profile divorce.
That divorce? Triggered when his ex-wife, Lebanese model Daniella Semaan, left him for Fabregas, who at the time was making waves in the Premier League with Arsenal and Chelsea.
A Lavish Divorce Funded by Deception
Their marriage, which began in 1998, fell apart in dramatic fashion.
To fund the divorce settlement, Taktouk tried to sell their Grade-II listed Belgravia apartment—worth £5.5 million—just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace.
Despite his efforts to block the sale, the courts ultimately ruled in favour of Fabregas and Semaan.
What followed was even messier.
Prosecutors revealed that Taktouk spent nearly £2.5 million of investor funds—meant to be used for renovating a luxury flat in Knightsbridge—on his own lavish expenses.
That included £200,000 in legal fees for the divorce, £28,000 on a Porsche, a £21,000-per-month Kensington apartment, and high-end shopping at Harrods and Armani.
Not to mention private school fees for his children.
A Family Empire and a Fall from Grace
Taktouk comes from a wealthy family with deep business ties in Lebanon and Nigeria, spanning sectors from transport to insurance.
His father, Youssef Taktouk, was known as one of the richest men in Ibadan, Nigeria.
But despite the family fortune, Elie didn’t hesitate to fake invoices and lie to his investors—father and son Adrian and Frank Noël—who had poured their savings into the Knightsbridge apartment project.
Instead of building a jacuzzi and other promised features, the money vanished into his personal bank account.
The result? The Noëls lost every cent of their £2.49 million investment, and the property was ultimately repossessed by the National Bank of Abu Dhabi.
A New Legal Chapter Ahead
After serving his seven-year sentence, Taktouk was released and is now back under the legal spotlight.
In November 2023, the court issued a £4.5 million confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act, with a threat of eight additional years behind bars if the money wasn’t paid.
However, in February 2025, Taktouk successfully appealed the ruling.
The Court of Appeal accepted that new evidence from his brother, Dr. Wassim Taktouk, might challenge the original judgment.
His legal team argues that previous assumptions about his financial interest in family assets were flawed.
What Happens Next?
Taktouk made a virtual appearance at Southwark Crown Court this week, where the judge confirmed a new hearing date for November 5.
In the meantime, if he plans to leave the country, he must notify authorities 14 days in advance.
According to his lawyer, he hasn’t attempted to flee since being released.
While he insists he no longer poses a flight risk, public interest remains high—partly due to the celebrity drama surrounding his ex-wife and Fabregas, and partly due to the sheer scale of his fraud.
One Final Chance to Clear His Name?
Now, all eyes are on whether this once high-flying tycoon can convince the courts to let him hold onto his remaining assets—or whether his past misdeeds will catch up with him once again.
Either way, the next chapter in Elie Taktouk’s legal saga is bound to make headlines.