Manhattan hedge funder pays $1bn to ex-wife, 64, after she left him for FEMALE gallerist

A Manhattan hedge funder, who is one of the world’s richest men, paid his ex-wife upwards of $1billion in a divorce settlement after she left him for a female gallerist, scandalizing New York City’s high society. 

Israel Englander, 74, is said to have paid Caryl Englander, 64, upwards of $1billion after they privately settled their divorce following 40 years of marriage. 

‘Caryl is happy to have settled their issues privately and amicably. The agreement does not allow either party to discuss the terms,’ her lawyer, Peter E Bronstein, told Page Six. 

Caryl left her husband, who is worth $11.3billion, for Swiss gallerist Dominique Levy, 55, which reportedly sent Israel into a fit of rage and he ‘terrorized’ the women after he was ‘deeply humiliated’ that she left him for a woman.

Their relationship hit the rocks in 2016 due to Israel’s ‘repeated unfaithfulness to Caryl,’ she claimed in a civil suit. She also cited in the lawsuit that she fell in love with Dominique. 

The lawsuit was later dropped just weeks before their divorce was finalized. 

Before their settlement, Caryl claimed Israel hired private investigators, made spurious calls to report them to the NYPD for child abuse, and embarked on a smear campaign in the media.

The billionaire ‘set out to terrorize the two women to force a break in their relationship, believing he could intimidate Caryl into “waking up” and coming back to him,’ the filing alleges.

In court documents obtained by The New York Post, the pair claim the furious ex-husband embarked on a ‘years-long campaign of duress’ against the two women.

They claim Englander hired private investigators to follow and photograph them; hacked their emails; and interfered with their family lives, with Englander outing Caryl and referring to Levy as a ‘viper’ in front of his and Caryl’s children.

‘Israel attacked Caryl in front of their children and blamed Dominique for destroying their family. And he put a price-tag on Caryl’s happiness: He told their children that Caryl’s relationship with Dominique would cost them $450million in tax liabilities if Caryl and Israel were to separate or divorce,’ the lawsuit said. 

She eventually signed the post-nuptial agreement ‘under duress’ after not eating or sleeping due to stress, causing her to ‘forfeit billions of dollars of joint marital property that she and Israel had built together over more than 40 years of marriage.’

Her ex-husband gained control of ’95 percent of the value of their marital assets.’ 

The duo alleged in their court filing that Englander paid to have them ‘aggressively’ followed and surveilled in New York and abroad, as well. 

In August 2017, the two women went to Italy, and were followed by private eyes, they claim.

Caryl and Levy accuse Englander of ordering ‘near-constant’ surveillance, claiming he ‘seemed to know exactly where Caryl was going and what she was doing at all times,’ the court documents claim.

The court documents claim Englander ‘wanted to punish Caryl and deprive her of her rightful, equitable share of the billions of dollars in marital assets that he and Caryl had built together over the course of their marriage.’

He also, they assert, tried to ‘destroy’ Levy’s gallery by hiring a company to get confidential information from her business and falsely claiming she had carried out tax fraud ‘to US authorities, seeking to prompt an unwarranted government investigation of her,’ the suit alleges.

Levy, widely considered one of the most influential New York art dealers, currently works out of an Upper East Side gallery she owns, in addition to galleries in London’s Mayfair, Paris and Hong Kong.

Levy and her girlfriend accuse Englander of trying to ruin her reputation by defaming her to senior figures at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and even threatening to stop giving his lucrative business to the auction houses if they continued to work with her.

Englander, according to the suit, tried to weaponize the media against Levy, by giving reporters tips about alleged wrongdoing.

The court documents claim he attempted to ‘get the media to attack Dominique,’ with one Bloomberg reporter sending Levy several inquiries referencing confidential business transactions – forcing Levy to hire a media relations specialist.

In September 2017, Levy was reported to NYPD for abusing her children, then aged 7 and 14 – and Levy and Caryl claim Englander was behind the fake accusations.

The agency carried out multiple checks of her children at home and at school making them strip to check for bruises, the filing alleges.

She was eventually forced to file a lawsuit against the NYPD and New York’s Administration for Children’s Services to protect her family, the suit claims.

Caryl Englander further claims that her ex-husband made her sign documents without her lawyer being present, and hid the true value of his wealth.

She said he promised to leave them alone, if she signed the divorce agreement: in 2020, she complied.

Caryl claims that her ex-husband ‘more than 95 percent of the value of their marital assets, and near total control over the few assets and funds available to Caryl.’

Friends and her lawyers recommended she not sign, Caryl claimed.

The pair married in 1975 and share three grown children.       

Israel was born in Brooklyn and worked on Wall Street before founding Millennium Management in 1990, Israel and his former wife were high-society philanthropists. The pair gave generously to hospitals and cancer charities as well as Jewish organizations, and were well-known patrons of the arts, funding exhibitions at the Guggenheim and MoMA.

In December 2017, Caryl bought a $60million penthouse in a Park Avenue tower overlooking Central Park, which Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez also called home.

He remained at the $71million Park Avenue mansion they bought in 2004.

The couple also owns a $25million waterfront estate in Connecticut and $38million East 75th Street townhouse, which they purchased off the Sackler family. 

They also listed two Miami Beach penthouses for $45million.  

Israel also owned a $22million apartment in Paris.  

Dominque recently bought a $91million apartment in the elusive 432 Park Avenue on the 92nd floor, overlooking Central Park.