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

What the report says

A Singaporean man has lost a High Court bid to recover S$468,000 (about $369,200) he said he spent on his former girlfriend during their relationship. BBC World News reported that the judge found the payments and purchases were made willingly, with evidence showing he had been showering her with expensive gifts even before they became a couple.

The case involved Chander Agarwal, a logistics company chief executive, and Felicia Lee, a former flight attendant, whom he met on a flight in 2019. According to the court account, they were romantically involved from September 2022 to December 2023. Agarwal sued in March 2024 after the relationship ended, saying Lee had asked for interest-free loans and reimbursement for a range of expenses, including credit card spending, overseas trips, a feng shui consultation and life insurance premiums.

Lee denied that the money was borrowed, describing the transfers and purchases as gifts given out of affection. Senior Judge Lee Seiu Kin agreed with her, saying Agarwal had not produced documentary proof that the sums were loans or that Lee had acknowledged any debt. The judge also noted messages showing Lee’s surprise at some costly gifts and Agarwal’s insistence that repayment was not expected.

The ruling matters because it underscores how Singapore courts may distinguish between gifts and recoverable loans in relationship disputes when there is little written evidence. The judge’s remarks also echoed a broader pattern of recent Singapore cases involving financial claims arising from failed romantic relationships.