A former Grand Slam champion was left strapped for cash after being scammed by a banker who stole millions of pounds from his celebrity clients. Henri Leconte won singles titles on all three surfaces during his career, which spanned a period of 16 years. He also excelled in doubles, winning the French Open alongside Yannick Noah in 1984.
Leconte never managed to win a Grand Slam singles title but reached the final of the French Open in 1988, where he was beaten by Mats Wilander. Two years earlier, he made it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He earned almost £3million in prize money throughout his career before hanging up his racket in 1996.
A chunk of Leconte’s wealth was taken away by Stephen Troth, a British banker who was jailed after swindling no less than 20 celebrities. He embezzled £12m from his big-name clients, many of whom regarded him as a friend.
Troth admitted siphoning funds from accounts he managed at HSBC Republic during a trial in 2002. A court in Monaco heard that Leconte was one of the celebrity clients who lost money as a result of Troth’s activities.
The court also heard that F1 legend Michael Schumacher lost more than £6m over a period of 18 months. None of the celebrities reported their money was missing but Troth was trapped by an internal audit, which rumbled his operation.
Rally driver Armin Schwarz and singer Liane Foly were among the others to have money taken by the banker, who previously worked for Natwest and Barclays.
Schwartz even agreed to loan £725,000 to Troth to finalise a property deal without realising that £150,000 had already been snatched from his bank account, according to The Times.
Troth was eventually jailed for four-and-a-half years, as well as being fined £19,000. He was a member of the so-called Monaco Mob, a group of young British tax exiles.
At his sentencing, Troth told the court that he went through some ‘rough times’ after getting divorced three years earlier. He said: “[I was] buried in work with clients who became more and more demanding.
“I started taking pills. I lost touch with reality. I cracked. I allowed myself to be crushed by the pressure of a portfolio that had become too weighty to manage.”
Leconte did not comment on the verdict but Schwartz admitted that he had been left ‘hurt and angry’ by the actions of his former friend.
“He pretended to be still employed by the bank but they had in fact sacked him,” said the rally driver. “I am very hurt and angry by what he has done. He was my banker for ten years and I trusted him.”
To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or newsletter.