A millionaire tech tycoon has accused his ex-boyfriend of trying to ‘destroy’ his business by ‘leaking sensitive details about him’ to clients.
As it is going…
Mark Pearson, creator of £55million MyVoucherCodes empire, has sued his former partner Aaron Harpin for allegedly launching a ‘damaging’ anonymous email campaign against him.
His accusations
Mr Pearson has accused Mr Harpin, 34, of sending four emails to contacts of his tech venture capital business during the ‘particularly sensitive time’ when he was raising funds for its investments.
The case reached the High Court in London court last week as Mr Pearson, 44, applied for an order to force his ex to hand over his laptop and any information he might hold about him.
Dismissed, but the fight continues
But Judge Susie Alegre dismissed the ‘delivery up’ application this week and the fight is set to continue to a full trial of the allegations.
Mr Harpin has ‘strongly’ denied the allegations that he deliberately leaked sensitive details about his ex and has accused his Mr Pearson of ‘controlling’ behaviour.
Who is Mr Pearson?
Mr Pearson launched MyVoucherCodes in 2006 and become one of Britain’s richest people in 2016 after selling the website in a deal worth up to £55million.
When they first connected
He met his now-ex in 2008, about two years after he launched the savings site, while Mr Harpin was a student working at Zara and the pair began a romantic relationship.
Together the pair raised their two children, twins born through surrogacy, and maintained a jet-set lifestyle with homes in London and Monaco, property in Barbados and a fleet of luxury cars.
They also worked together in Mr Pearson’s businesses after Mr Harpin quit his fashion job.
About Mr Harpin
Mr Harpin also ran a business, having set up HushHush.com, an online marketplace for the megarich, selling yachts, diamond-encrusted watches and other high-end luxuries, and dubbed ‘Amazon for billionaires’ in the press.
Now court battle after their divorce
But the couple split last year and are now fighting a High Court battle over four anonymous emails which were sent this summer to contacts of Mr Pearson’s venture capital company Fuel Ventures Ltd and consultancy services firm Fuel Studios Ltd.
His barrister, Charles Newington-Bridges, said the emails were particularly damaging as they had been sent during the ‘particularly sensitive time’ when Mr Pearson was raising funds for its investments.
Mr Pearson launched proceedings to end the email campaign, suing Mr Harpin for an order forcing him to hand over his laptop, all information he has about Mr Pearson and a witness statement saying what is stored on the computer.
