A Kelowna man must pay his ex-partner over $5 million after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that love is not a necessary component of a marriage-like relationship.

According to a judgement released this week, 67-year-old Thomas Budd, a philanthropist and retired investment banker, lived with 38-year-old massage therapist Kaitlynn Fleury from February 2019 until August 2021.

Budd, who has a net worth in excess of $150 million, attempted to argue that his relationship with Fleury was not a spousal one, in part due to his belief she was never in love with him, the ruling says. The judge disagreed.

“While many people marry or enter into marriage-like relationships because they share romantic love for one another, romantic love has never been a requirement to enter into a marriage,” the jud

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