Family sue banker’s Polish ‘call girl’ lover after she ‘conned him out of £4M estate’ before he died
THE family of a genius City banker have sued his younger lover, claiming she was a "call girl" and conned him out of £4 million.
Danny Truell, who made his £18 million fortune with Goldman Sachs before becoming the UK's best-paid charity boss, died in 2019.
During his 12 years at charity the Wellcome Trust he grew assets from £12.3 billion to £20.9 billion and allowed it to double the amount it donated a year, to more than £1 billion.
The financier, who attended Oxford University alongside former PM Boris Johnson, suffered from motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis, ultimately resulting in his death aged 55.
Now, £4 million of Mr Truell's estate is the centre of a bitter legal battle between his brother Edi and his Polish lover, Magda Zalinska.
Former nightclub owner Ms Zalinska, who was nine years her Danny's junior, was given his interest in his flat in Clapham, South London, as well as £2 million in cash and £1.3 million from his bank account in the seven years before his death.
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Edi, through lawyers, described her as a "call girl" who influenced his brother to hand over large sums.
He also alleged that she used her nightclub business as a "front" to "extract" money from the multi-millionaire.
For her part, Ms Zalinska denies the accusations and says she was in a loving relationship with Danny for 14 years.
Amit Karia, Ms Zalinska's barrister, pointed to the fact that he referred to her as his "partner and dependent" in his will.
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However, Edi and John Rayner Hatchard (the other executor of the estate) say that evidence casts doubt on the ";quality" of the relationship.
While, Edi accepted that she was in a sexual relationship with his brother, his claim is that she exerted "undue influence" on him to hand over cash and property and that, because of this, the will should be set aside.
An initial hearing was told that the dispute revolves around the "strange relationship" between the pair.
Edward Hicks, acting for Edi, told the judge that Danny led two "very separate lives", one with his family and the other with Miss Zalinska.
He added that he and his clients "have evidence that she was in relationships with other people".
The case is set to be decided in a two-week High Court hearing next year.
During his 12 years at Britain's biggest charity the Wellcome Trust he grew assets under management from £12.3billion to £20.9billion and allowed it to double the amount it donated a year, to more than £1billion.
