Man loses case to claw back $369,000 he spent on lavish gifts for ex-girlfriend

A Singaporean man, Chander Agarwal, has been defeated in a court case in an attempt to recover over $369,000 he spent on lavish gifts for his ex-girlfriend, Felicia Lee. The High Court ruled that the $468,000, or S$468,000, that Agarwal had willingly spent on Lee during their relationship was not to be repaid. Agarwal, a CEO of a logistics company, met Lee, a former flight attendant, during a flight in 2019.

They dated from September 2022 to December 2023, but their relationship ended after Agarwal discovered evidence of Lee's alleged affair. In their divorce, Agarwal argued that Lee had requested multiple interest-free loans from him, totaling S$206,000 in credit card charges, S$129,000 for overseas trips, S$17,000 for a fengshui master for her apartment, and S$20,000 for her life insurance premiums.

However, the judge sided with Lee, stating that these expenses were gifts of love and affection, and that she had not acknowledged receiving these loans. The judge noted that Agarwal was a well-to-do man with expensive tastes, unlike the financially-strapped Lee. The judge cited famous playwright William Congreve in concluding that love can turn to hatred, and scorn can be felt by both genders.