Topline
Former German tennis star Boris Becker—whose off-court troubles have overshadowed his athletic success—was sentenced Friday to two-and-a-half years in prison after a U.K. court found he withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets after declaring bankruptcy in 2017, according to multiple reports.
Former tennis player Boris Becker arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday. (AP … [+]
Key Facts
Becker, 54, was found guilty on four counts of violating the U.K. Insolvency Act earlier this month, including removal of property, concealing debt and two charges of failing to disclose estate.
The court found Becker transferred $449,000 from his bankruptcy estate to other accounts, concealed his ownership of 75,000 shares of a tech firm and hid an $871,000 loan.
Becker was found not guilty on 20 other charges, including claims he purposely failed to turn over two Wimbledon trophies and an Olympic gold medal as part of the bankruptcy.
Big Number
$50 million. That’s the widely reported number for Becker’s career earnings. The tennis great, who was known off the court for a lavish, playboy lifestyle, argued at his trial his money was eaten up by “expensive lifestyle commitments” and a costly divorce involving his first wife.
Key Background
Becker was a dominant force in tennis during the 1980s and 1990s and is widely regarded as one of the top players of his generation. He captured six Grand Slam titles between 1985 and 1996, winning Wimbledon three times, the Australian Open twice and the U.S. Open once. After retiring in 1999, he became a broadcaster and also served as Novak Djokovic’s coach from 2013-2016. Becker first ran into legal troubles involving his finances in 2002, when a German court found him guilty of tax evasion after he admitted he lived in Munich during the early 1990s, while he claimed Monaco as his official residence.
Tangent
Becker’s romantic entanglements have often caused headlines. In his autobiography Hold On, he admits to having sex with a waitress at London’s Nobu restaurant there hours after his pregnant first wife went to the hospital with contractions. The tryst led to the birth of Becker’s third child.
Further Reading
Boris Becker Faces Possible Prison Time for Concealing Assets After Bankruptcy (Wall Street Journal)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/04/29/tennis-legend-boris-becker-given-2-12-year-jail-term-for-hiding-assets/