10 Bitter Billionaire Family Feuds That Played Out In Public

Even the richest families in the world aren’t immune to internal feuds

It isn't uncommon to witness fights over inheritance, trust funds, power and more in wealthy families. It's challenging to keep family feuds under wraps, especially when billions of dollars are at stake. These feuds are made bitter with neverending legal battles. Here is a look at the 10 bitter billionaire family feuds that played out in the public.

1. Goldman Family

Sol Goldman was one of the richest landlord in New York City at the time of his death in 1987. With properties like the historic Chrysler Building, Goldman’s empire was sure to be the subject of an inheritance battle. After his death, his four kids and estranged wife Lilian fought over inheritance for half a decade. Lillian and Goldman had signed an agreement that granted her 33% of the estate but it was challenged by their children. The lawsuits stretched on for five years before an agreement was stuck. Following Lillian’s death in 2002, her estate was divided nearly equally among her children, Forbes reported citing court documents. 

2. Hinduja Family

The billionaire Hinduja family was embroiled in a feud that lasted for decades. Britain’s richest family oversaw an Anglo-Indian business empire with over 150,000 employees in almost 40 countries, and six publicly traded entities in India including IndusInd bank, one of India’s largest private banks, and Ashok Leyland Ltd., the world’s third-largest manufacturer of buses. When the head of the family, Srichand Hinduja, stepped away from the business due to dementia, it splintered the family that had a combined net worth of over 28 billion pounds ($33 billion) in 2022. The four heirs of the family signed an agreement that said “everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone,” as per Live Mint. However, Srichand’s daughter Vinoo alleged that her uncles conspired to cut her side of the family out of funding and decision-making. A confidential agreement was reached in 2022 following a court ruling. However, Srichand’s death in 2023 reportedly brought the feud back into the spotlight.

3. Safra Family

Late Joseph Safra, a Brazilian billionaire of Lebanese heritage, was one of the world’s richest bankers, leading the Safra National Bank. However, after his death, a deep divide developed between his three sons over the inheritance of assets. One of his sons, Alberto, filed a lawsuit against his mother, Vicky, and brothers David and Jacob in 2023 accusing them of purposely diluting his stake in a holding company of the bank to oust him from the empire, Reuters reported. As per Forbes, the Safra Siblings had a net worth of $7.7 billion in 2022.

4. Koch Family

In 1980, William (Bill) Koch fought to gain control of family-owned Koch Industries and it went down in flames as he was immediately fired. Three years later, he and his brother Frederick sold their shares back to their brothers Charles and David for over $700 million, as per Forbes. However, the two then alleged that they were shortchanged and sued their brothers for more. After 18 years of legal battle, they finally settled in 2001. The company then went on to diversify its business across categories like pipelines, chemicals, Dixie cups, and Stainmaster carpets.

5. Stronach Family

One of Canada's richest families was torn apart due to a family feud. Former Magna International chief executive Belinda Stronach was sued by her father for $550 million and then her brother Andrew as well. The dispute originated when Frank left Canada in 2013 for a brief foray into politics, handing control over a key trust to his daughter. Now, Belinda has been accused of unilaterally controlling various trusts of the company making some costly investments that have resulted in significant losses, as per Sydney Morning Herald. The Stronach Group was in a liquidity crisis and actively attempting to sell off valuable real estate and other assets when Andrew filed the suit.

6. Pritzker Family

Hyatt Hotel heiress Liesel Pritzker aka Liesel Matthews filed a $6 billion lawsuit against her father and 11 older cousins at the young age of 18. Liesel accused them of looting her and her brother Matthew’s trust funds. Her father, Robert Pritzker, donated a share of his children's trust in the family holding company to the family foundation. When her cousins decided to divide the fortune amongst themselves, they left Liesel and her brother out. This led to the suit by Liesel which she won and a settlement was reached. Liesel walked away with $500 million and after the family fortune was split, a dozen billionaire Pritzkers emerged, as per Forbes.

7. Barclay Family

The feud of one of the UK’s most secretive billionaire families was sparked by a nasty succession dispute. The empire, which raked in over $30 billion in revenue and once owned the famous Ritz Hotel, was subject to litigation between the sons of Sir Frederick Barclay’s identical twin brother, Sir David, who died in 2021. David’s heirs Alistair, Aidan, Howard, and Aidan’s son Andrew Barclay, who now oversee the business empire admitted to bugging Fredrick’s conversations at the family’s Ritz Hotel in London related to the sale of the Ritz hotel. Frederick and his daughter Amanda pursued a breach of confidence and filed a suit against the three. However, the issue was settled after the three accused publicly apologized for their actions, as per Forbes.

8. d’Ovidio Family

The feud of Monaco-based tycoon Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio was played out between him and his history professor brother Francesco over the ownership of the business that their father founded. Francesco claimed that he was the rightful owner of 52% of a family holding company, which owned the Silversea Cruises. Silversea Cruises, under Manfredi’s watch, had grown to a $2 billion valuation in 2018, as per Financial Post. According to the claims of their father, Antonio decided to put the siblings’ holdings into a family trust. In 2001, the brothers agreed that Francesco would get properties in Rome and receive a holding company controlling some shipping assets, while Manfredi would keep the cruise business. However, seven years later, Francesco filed a suit alleging that the delivery of shares did not go through, while Manfredi content that the deal was completed as per the agreement.

9. Gore Family

The founders of W.L. Gore (owners of the waterproof fabric Gore-Tex) created an unusual system to distribute their estate amongst their grandkids, which led to a bitter family feud. Bill Gore and his wife Genevieve set up a system of trusts that awarded larger shares of their estates to larger branches of the family. Thus, three of their four children who had four grandkids each got larger shares than one of their children Susan, who only had three kids. Susan took matters into her own hands and adopted her ex-husband as her child to gain more shares. This upset her siblings and later a court ruled Susan, her husband, and her children out from getting any shares of the company, as per Forbes. 

10. Albrecht Family

Theo Albrecht, who helped build the Aldi supermarket, had his heirs fighting over inheritance after his death. After a long-running dispute, the families of Theo Jr and his late brother Berthold agreed to reorganize the Aldi Nord group under one holding foundation, with equal parts being held by the two. Earlier, Aldi Nord was controlled by three trusts. The chain of discount supermarkets was established by the two brothers Theo and Karl, who took over their parents’ grocery store after the Second World War, as per the Irish Examiner.