The £690m divorce feud

The £690 million family fortune of one of Britain's richest men is today at the centre of a landmark divorce case.

Jonathan Rowland - the 29-year-old son of City financier David Rowland and heir to the family fortune - is being sued by his estranged wife for a share of his own and his father's vast wealth.

It comes after the collapse of his four-year marriage to Zoe Rowland.

Mrs Rowland, a 30-year-old account director from Oxfordshire, has retained two of the most successful divorce lawyers to fight for a huge payout.

She has instructed Nicholas Mostyn, the QC who last year secured an unprecedented share of former Arsenal star Ray Parlour's future earnings for the footballer ' s ex-wife.

Also in her corner is Kay Georgiou, the solicitor who won a record £10 million settlement for Zeta Graff, the ex-wife of Francois Graff, heir to a diamond fortune.

A source close to the Rowland family told the Standard Mrs Rowland "began gunning for the Rowland empire" after consultations with Mr Mostyn. Mr Rowland is listed as the 53rd richest man in the country.

"She was close to settling out of court with him but after meeting Mostyn, decided to go for his father's money as well," said the source.

"At the end of 2003, Jonathan offered her everything he had. That was the equity from their home and a few of his assets. He even offered to buy her a house worth half a million.

"She was about to agree but then met Mostyn and everything changed."

The source added: "The family aren't going to take this lying down. They plan to fight this all the way to the High Court. They are furious she has dragged them into Jonathan's divorce.

"David Rowland is especially upset that Zoe would take him for all he's got when all he has ever done is to be generous to her.

"He can't understand why she thinks she has a right to his money as well as Jonathan's."

According to the source the family are particularly upset by Mrs Rowland, who earns about £40,000 a year in her job at Lime Communications, because she has been living at the £1.2 million Chiswick home of Mr Rowland's mother Linda for the past 14 months.

Last month research by the Evening Standard revealed that Jonathan and David Rowland were number 30 in the list of the richest men in London with a combined wealth of £690 million in a list headed by steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club.

David Rowland, 58, built up his fortune in property and investments and is now retired in the Channel Isles with his wife Sheila.

Most of the family's wealth is tied up offshore.

Jonathan Rowland works for his father by investing his money in venture capital.

He made his name with the sale of internet investment company JellyWorks in

The case, which will be heard privately in the family court, is expected to start next month with the final hearing in November.

Mrs Rowland and her solicitor Ms Georgiou declined to comment.

When the Standard approached Jonathan Rowland outside his West End offices he refused to comment on the allegations.

Mr Mostyn was also unavailable to make any comment.