Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi has become a trending topic across the world after his wife discovered he owns nothing despite earning millions of Euros with Paris Saint Germain and the Moroccan national football team.
This discovery was made during ongoing divorce proceedings in court after his wife, Hiba Abouk, filed for divorce and asked for half of all the property and money the footballer owned.
To her shock, she discovered that Hakimi, 24, had registered all his properties and monies in his mother’s name, and whenever he needed anything, he would ask his mother to buy it for him.
All his houses, cars, clothes, and jewelry were found to be in his mother’s name, and millions in salary were deposited in accounts bearing his mother’s name.
It was reported that 80 percent of all that he owns is registered in his mother’s name.
The couple began dating in 2018, married in 2020 and have two sons. She filed for divorce around March 2023.
Hakimi being investigated in Paris, France, for alleged rape was the final nail in the coffin even as his marriage to the Spanish actress had already been deteriorating for months prior.
Hakimi’s move of not having his wealth registered in his name has made news worldwide, as some hailed him for being ‘wise’ and a living legend in protecting his assets; while others castigated Hakimi and his mother.
But what exactly does the law in France say about hiding assets from your spouse?
In France, marriage is governed by the legal concept of “community of property”, which means that all assets acquired by either spouse during the marriage are considered jointly owned by both partners. Therefore, hiding assets or properties from one’s spouse can have legal consequences.
According to French law, spouses have a legal duty to disclose their assets and debts to each other. This duty is reinforced by the obligation to provide a comprehensive inventory of all property, both joint and individual, at the time of the marriage.
If a spouse hides assets or properties from their partner, it can be considered a violation of this legal duty and can result in serious consequences. In the event of a divorce or legal separation, the spouse who has hidden assets may be ordered to pay damages to the other spouse, and may also face criminal penalties for fraud or misrepresentation.
It is important to note that French law also recognizes the principle of “separate property”, which means that certain assets acquired before the marriage or inherited during the marriage remain the exclusive property of the spouse who acquired them. However, even in these cases, spouses are still required to disclose these assets to each other, and failure to do so can have legal consequences.