Paris Hilton's tycoon ex-boyfriend is cleared over claims he broke his word over an £11.5m deal 'made with an ex-Guards officer over dinner at a Knightsbridge restaurant

  • Austrian entrepreneur Hans Thomas Gross is worth more than £130million
  • He was sued  by British financier and former Guards officer Bruce MacInnes
  • He says he was pledged £11.5m share of profits from sale of Mr Gross's business
  •  Mr MacInnes said deal was sealed with a handshake over dinner at Zuma in 2011
  • But Mr Gross denied there was an agreement and Mr MacInnes took him to court alleging breach of contract - judge found Mr Gross never gave or broke his word

By Keiligh Baker for MailOnline

Published: 08:34 EST, 31 January 2017 | Updated: 08:37 EST, 31 January 2017

Paris Hilton's Austrian tycoon ex-boyfriend has been cleared of claims he broke his word over an £11.5million business deal

A tycoon who once dated Paris Hilton has been cleared of claims that he broke his word over an £11.5million deal that was alleged to have been sealed with a handshake. 

Hans Thomas Gross, an Austrian entrepreneur worth over £130million, was sued by British financier and former Guards officer Bruce MacInnes over commission from the sale of Mr Gross' RunningBall sports data business in 2012.

The 39-year-old tycoon hit the headlines in 2015 when he began dating Paris Hilton who was spotted frolicking with him aboard his luxury yacht, Galaxy.

Mr MacInnes, a former captain in the Welsh Guards, claimed he was pledged a big share of the £100 million-plus profits from the sale of RollingBall, which he said should have netted him around £11.5m.

The veteran investment banker insisted he struck a binding gentleman's agreement with Mr Gross, which was cemented with a handshake at exclusive Knightsbridge restaurant, Zuma in March 2011.

Mr MacInnes told London's High Court he'd grown to like and trust Mr Gross as 'a man of his word'.

And on the strength of Mr Gross' handshake, he said he resigned from top investment company, Investec, and went to work at RollingBall.

This was on the clear understanding that he would earn a hefty commission if RollingBall sold above its target 'strike' price, he claimed.

Mr MacInnes (pictured) claimed he was promised a big share of the £100 million-plus profits from the sale of Mr Gross' RunningBall global sports data business in 2012

In May 2012, RollingBall was sold to Perform for 142million Euros, which Mr MacInnes said was 'far in excess of the strike price'.

He expected to pick up 13.5million Euros on the deal - in line with the alleged pact hammered out at Zuma.

'But after the sale Mr Gross changed his tune,' said the financier's QC, Gavin Mansfield.

'He refused to pay and denied there was an agreement,' added the barrister.

Mr MacInnes duly took Mr Gross to court, alleging breach of contract. 

Although unable to produce documentation to back his claims, Mr MacInnes said he had 'accepted the deal on a handshake' because Mr Gross 'came across as a very trustworthy person'.

The judge, Mr Justice Coulson, said the Zuma encounter was at the heart of the dispute.

Mr MacInnes said the handshake which wrapped up the dinner symbolised their deal, and that Mr Gross 'said he was shaking hands because that concluded the deal 'in the Asian way'.

Mr MacInnes insisted he struck a binding gentleman's agreement with Mr Gross, which was cemented with a handshake at exclusive Knightsbridge restaurant, Zuma (pictured) in 2011

'It was the force of conviction with which he did that that persuaded me to go to Investec to confirm with them that I had agreed terms to leave', said the Oxford graduate.

But Mr Gross insisted the handshake was just to 'say goodbye' after dinner, and the judge agreed that it had no special significance.

Nor did Mr Gross ever refer to the 'Asian way', he ruled, dismissing Mr MacInnes' claim.

There was no 'binding agreement' reached between the two men, the judge concluded, and Mr Gross never gave or broke his word.

Neither man had lied to the court, the judge found, adding that their dispute was 'much more nuanced than that'.

The ruling against Mr MacInnes means he will be left to pick up the bill for Mr Gross' legal costs, which will run well into six figures.

Mr Gross said after the ruling: 'This is a case that has gone on for four years and been immensely stressful for me and my family.

'I am a businessman and a man of my word, my reputation is extremely important to me. I am relieved that I've been fully vindicated by the court.'

 

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