Ryan Giggs is about to embark on an unusual task – he needs to convince the court at his divorce hearing that he is a genius.
The move is following the precedent set by Michael Cowan in 2001. Cowan and his wife introduced black bin liners to the UK in the late 60s. 35 years later when the couple divorced, Michael Cowan was allowed to keep 62% of their shared wealth as his “contribution, in terms of entrepreneurial flair, inventiveness and hard work, was truly exceptional”.
Giggs’ lawyer told the court this week that they would be calling ten witnesses to help prove that the footballer is a genius and should be awarded more than half of his £40million wealth in the divorce proceedings as he contributed more to than his wife Stacey Cooke did over their ten year marriage. They believe this should overrule the law that homemaking is of equal value to a marriage as breadwinning.
Though it won’t be an easy job for Giggs. Only a handful of men (and no women) have succeeded in convincing a court of their genius ever since. Two people in the last fortnight alone have tried, an American business man and the chairman of homeware shop, Laura Ashley – both men were denied genius status and were required to give their wives 50% of their fortunes.
The Manchester United alum is going to have a hard time convincing a court that he’s a genius, however the monetary benefits are so high that it’s worth a shot.