A multi-millionaire who gave away his fortune to set up a cancer charity split up with his wife of 30 years after falling out over his philanthropy.

Brian Burnie, a petrochemicals and recruitment entrepreneur, sold off his £16 million mansion and all his belongings and funnelled the proceeds into Daft As A Brush cancer care charity after his wife Shirley beat breast cancer in 2009.

But she did not agree with his generosity, claiming she did not want him to sell their home and that his project came at the expense of his relationship with her and the couple’s three children.

They left the 10-acre luxury estate at Doxford Hall in Northumberland and moved into a rented terraced house in nearby Morpeth.

“He decided he wanted to spend 100 per cent of his time with the charity,” said Ms Burnie, 66.

“I had helped with the business and bringing up our children and I was under the impression we would have more time with one another when we were older.”

But instead Ms Burnie said her husband would spend weeknights in Newcastle while he was setting the charity’s head offices up, despite their vast home being just 30 minutes’ drive away, and return only for weekends. At the time, he said: “I’ve no interest in bricks and mortar. I’ve no interest in possessions.”

Three years after he set up Daft As A Brush, the couple split up, just three months after their 30th wedding anniversary. She discovered he had bought a second property in Morpeth without telling her, which she believed was an indication he was planning to leave her.

“The first time I knew anything was in August 2011 when he came up to me and asked me for a divorce. I knew nothing about the new house – all I knew was he was working most of the time in Newcastle setting up the charity offices,” said Mrs Burnie.

“Three days before our 30th wedding anniversary he had signed the financial agreements for the house and not said anything.”

Rather than being proud of her husband using his fortune to help others, she said she had resented him for giving their home away and potentially jeopardising the security of their family.

“He was spending more and more time in Newcastle during the week. That was the basis of everything, it was all for the charity.”

Ms Burnie said she had not intended to beat cancer and spend the rest of her life devoted to a charity while living in small home. The divorce was finalised the following year.

Mr Burnie, who now lives in a large semi-detached house in Gosforth, Newcastle, claimed he had never intended to live in the property but had instead bought it for the charity but found it unsuitable.

His ex-wife said she did not speak to him after the divorce until last Christmas, when Mr Burnie joined Ms Burnie and their children Louise, Fiona and Alastair at her four-bedroom home in Longframlinton, Morpeth.

“We both made an effort for the sake of the children, but other than that I haven’t spoken to him since,” she said. She now divides her time between local community groups and visiting her three children, with whom she remains “very close”.

Mr Burnie declined to comment further when contacted by The Telegraph.