LONDON — A British judge rejected Elton John’s bid to appeal a failed negligence lawsuit against his former accountants.
Judge Andrew Ferris at London’s High Court said Wednesday he was not satisfied an appeal “would have any real prospect of success.”
In April, the High Court ruled against John’s claim that his accountants and management team had been negligent in handling his business affairs.
The pop star accused accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers and Andrew Haydon — former managing director of John Reid Enterprises, John’s longtime management company — of burdening him with millions of dollars in touring expenses.
Lawyers for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Reid depicted John as a free spender with a poor grasp of his personal finances.
During the court hearing, the 54-year-old performer admitted he enjoyed a “somewhat lavish lifestyle” and had spent $42 million on personal expenses — including $410,000 on flowers — over a 20-month period.
Wednesday’s decision applied only to John’s suit against PricewaterhouseCoopers, not to Haydon or John Reid Enterprises. John can still seek permission to petition the Court of Appeal.
