Man loses case to claw back $369,000 he spent on gifts for ex-girlfriend
A Singaporean man lost a court case to recover over $369,000 in gifts he gave to his ex-girlfriend. The judge ruled the money was given as gifts rather than loans, noting the man's lack of evidence and his embittered motive for the lawsuit.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal challenges in distinguishing between romantic gifts and financial loans in the absence of formal documentation.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Kelly Ng Singapore Getty Images The man "was determined to extract a price from her" after their relationship soured, the judge said A Singaporean man has lost a court case to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars that he had lavished on his ex-girlfriend while they were together.
The S$468,000 ($369,200; £273,260) that Chander Agarwal attempted to recover from Felicia Lee was money he had "willingly" spent on her, the Singapore High Court ruled.
Agarwal "displayed a consistent pattern of showering [Lee] with lavish gifts" even before they got together and would reassure her that he did not expect repayment, Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin said.
Agarwal, the CEO of a logistics company, met Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, during a flight in 2019. They were in a romantic relationship from September 2022 to December 2023, the court heard.
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