US millionaire charged with wife’s murder

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office in California has charged millionaire Gordon Abas Goodarzi with the murder of his wife, Aryan Papoli.

The arrest took place on January 23 at Goodarzi’s home in Rolling Hills Estates, California, with the charges formally announced on January 25.

The body of Aryan Papoli was discovered on November 18, 2025, at the bottom of a cliff near a rural road approximately 110 km from Los Angeles. Identification was confirmed on December 1, when the case was officially classified as a homicide. According to U.S. media reports, the couple had been living separately and filed for divorce in June 2025.

The indictment alleges that Goodarzi planned the murder in advance, with the motive cited as financial gain or causing financial harm.

Gordon Abas Goodarzi is the founder of US Hybrid, established in 1999, a company specialising in components for zero-emission vehicles. He sold the company in 2021 for $50 million.

By Vugar Khalilov