AN OXFORD University researcher faces financial ruin if his former wife, an heiress said to be worth £100m, wins her battle to have pre-nuptial agreements recognised in the UK, the Supreme Court was told today.

Nicolas Granatino took his case to the court after Appeal Court judges cut his divorce settlement from more than £5m to £1m, saying “decisive weight” should be given to the agreement that he would make no claims on Katrin Radmacher’s fortune.

If his appeal is dismissed, Mr Granatino must pay back maintenance together with all the costs of the case from his reduced lump sum, his barrister, Nicholas Mostyn, told the court.

The case continues.