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Brothers and sisters in court

Rivalry. The law it tested: executors' and trustees' duties.

108 storiesRivalryExecutors' and trustees' duties
German: Esau verkauft sein Erstgeburtsrecht Esau, returning hungry from the hunt, sells his first birthright to Jacob fo, painting by Matthias Stom
German: Esau verkauft sein Erstgeburtsrecht Esau, returning hungry from the hunt, sells his first birthright to Jacob fo. Matthias Stom, between 1642 and 1645date QS:P. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

What did these cases decide about executors' and trustees' duties?

Without a will, state intestacy law picks the heirs, and the court must rule on every claim of kinship before the estate can be divided. A trust that lets trustees decide whether a beneficiary is ready can keep one heir from his money for decades. Unequal shares plus control in the hands of some heirs makes the others outsiders to a family name they also carry.

Stories
108
Years
3000 BCE to 2025
Main subjects
Music and sport, Divorce and feuds, Egypt and Africa
Main regions
North America, Europe, East Asia
Updated
30 October 2026

Every case in this gallery, best-known first

Best-known first: cases from 1900 on, then the United States, then Europe, and the people most read about on English Wikipedia each month. Fiction, scripture and legend come last.

Vincent Gallo: Vincent Gallo-1-22007 · Modesto, CaliforniaThe Gallo brothers raised their younger brother after their parents' murder-suicide, then sued him for using the family nameOn June 21, 1933, Joseph Gallo Sr. shot his wife Susie and then himself on their California farm. Their sons Ernest and Julio founded E. & J. Gallo Winery that year and became guardians of their 13-year-old brother Joseph.law.resource.org and 2 morePrince at Coachella 001: Prince performing at Coachella 2008.2016 · Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, USAPrince died without a will, more than 45 people claimed to be his relatives, and his estate took 6 years and a tax court case to dividePrince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on 21 April 2016, aged 57. An autopsy found fentanyl toxicity. He left no will, spouse or children.nbcwashington.com and 16 moreWalt Disney: Walt Disney 1946 (cropped2)1993 · California, USAWalt Disney's twin grandchildren split over a $400 million trust after the trustees paid one twin and refused the otherSharon Disney Lund, Walt Disney's younger daughter, set up the Lund Family Trust in 1989 and died in 1993. Her twins, Bradford and Michelle, were to receive distributions at 35, 40 and 45 if the trustees judged them ready.azcourts.gov and 4 moreFrank Zappa: Zappa 16011977 01 3001993 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaGail Zappa left two of her children control of Frank Zappa's estate, and Dweezil was told he could not use his own surname for his bandFrank Zappa died of prostate cancer in 1993 and left his estate to his wife, Gail, who ran it through the Zappa Family Trust. Gail died in 2015.Rolling Stone and 2 moreNipsey Hussle: Soundtrack Beat Battle Judging Panel March2011 (cropped)2019 · Los Angeles, California, USANipsey Hussle was shot dead outside his store, and his family took guardianship of his daughter from her motherNipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was shot dead in the parking lot of his store in South Los Angeles. He left no will but had set up trusts for his two children, daughter Emani and son Kross.okayplayer.com and 3 moreLittle Richard: Little Richard performing at the University of Texas Forty Acres Festival in 2007.2020 · Tullahoma, TennesseeLittle Richard's brother emailed the buyer about elder abuse and racism, the buyer withdrew its offer for the estate's rights, and the court took away his shareRichard Wayne Penniman died at 87.tncourts.gov and 2 moreXXXTentacion: Xxxtentacion (cropped)2018 · Deerfield Beach, FloridaXXXTentacion was shot dead at 20, and his son was born seven months later outside his willJahseh Onfroy, the rapper XXXTentacion, was shot dead outside a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, aged 20. The killers took $50,000 from him.nbcmiami.com and 2 moreDimebag Darrell: Dimebag at Monsters of Rock 19942004 · Columbus, OhioDimebag Darrell was shot dead on stage with no will; his girlfriend of two decades was left out, later took over his estate's trust, and lost most of its suit against Dean Guitars in 2026Darrell Abbott was shot on stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus during a Damageplan show. He left no will.blabbermouth.net and 4 morePatsy Cline: Patsy Cline promotional photograph, circa 1957.1963 · near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash)Patsy Cline's brother sued her sister over Patsy's stage clothes, and a judge ordered the dresses sold to pay the lawyerPatsy Cline was 30 when her plane went down in Tennessee. Her mother, Hilda Hensley, sewed many of her stage costumes and kept her clothing and papers in Winchester, Virginia. Hilda Hensley died around late 2000.oocities.org and 2 moreFred Trump Jr.: Fred Trump Jr. 1966 (cropped)1999 · New Hyde Park, New York, USAFred Trump's grandchildren contested his will in 2000, and Donald Trump and 2 siblings cut off health insurance for them and an ailing babyFred Trump, the father of Donald Trump, died at Long Island Jewish Medical Center on 25 June 1999, aged 93. On 23 March 2000 his grandchildren Mary L.gibsondunn.com and 4 moreGore Vidal: GoreVidalVanVechten1 (cropped)2012 · Hollywood Hills, Los AngelesGore Vidal changed his trust in 2011 to leave everything to Harvard, and his half-sister and nephew suedGore Vidal's original will left everything to Howard Austen, his partner of 53 years, who died in 2003. In 2011 Vidal amended his trust to name Harvard University sole heir, though he never attended it.washingtonian.com and 3 moreJerry Buss: Jerry Buss playing the WSOP2013 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaJerry Buss's sons tried to vote their sister off the Lakers board; she went to court and removed one of them as trusteeJerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and placed his controlling stake in a family trust for his six children. The trust named his daughter Jeanie Buss as controlling owner and the team's representative to the NBA.espn.com and 2 moreSherman Hemsley: Sherman Hemsley The Jeffersons 19782012 · El Paso, TexasSherman Hemsley's body stayed in a funeral home refrigerator for months while a half-brother contested his willSherman Hemsley played George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons." He died of lung cancer at his El Paso home on July 24, 2012, at 74.CNN and 2 moreCelia Cruz: Celia Cruz 1957 color2003 · Fort Lee, New JerseyCelia Cruz left everything to her husband; one of her executors sued the other for draining his money while he had dementiaCelia Cruz died of a brain tumor at 77. Her will named her husband of 41 years, trumpeter Pedro Knight, as sole beneficiary. It named two co-executors: her manager, Omer Pardillo, and Luis Falcón, a young man close to the couple.CBS News and 4 moreAlex Haley: Alex Haley1992 · Seattle, WashingtonAlex Haley died owing about $1.5 million, his estate auctioned his Pulitzer for $50,000, and Betty Shabazz sued over the Malcolm X manuscriptHaley died of a heart attack at 70. Reports put his debts at about $1.5 million (Deseret News) or $2 million (Phoenix New Times), with a $950,000 mortgage on his 125-acre farm in Norris, Tennessee.stuff.mit.edu and 3 moreAmityville house: The house featured by the movie The Amityville Horror, built circa 1924, at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York, United States. By the time this photograph was1974 · 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, New York, USAThe Amityville house sold for $80,000 after six murders; the family that fled sued, and a judge called their story largely fictionKind 1. On 13 November 1974 Ronald DeFeo Jr., 23, shot his parents and four siblings as they slept at 112 Ocean Avenue.psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk and 2 morePat Bowlen2019 · Denver, ColoradoPat Bowlen's trust was meant to keep the Broncos in his family; two daughters and his brother sued, and the team was soldPat Bowlen bought the Broncos in 1984. Alzheimer's forced him to step aside in 2014. A three-person trust led by team president Joe Ellis ran the team.cpr.org and 2 moreH. L. Hunt: H. L. Hunt (American oil magnate, 1965)2017 · Dallas, Texas, USAAn H. L. Hunt great-grandson took a nine-figure settlement and promised not to contest his father's will, then contested itH. L. Hunt died in 1974 and left trusts for his heirs. In 2007 his great-grandson Albert G. Hill III sued his two sisters and his father, Albert Hill Jr., alleging misadministration of two trusts of which he was a beneficiary.ca5.uscourts.gov and 3 moreJoe Robbie: JoeRobbie1 (cropped)1990 · Miami, FloridaJoe Robbie's nine children sued each other, his widow claimed her 30 percent, and a $47 million tax bill forced the sale of the DolphinsJoe Robbie founded the Dolphins in 1966 and built their stadium with private money. He died in 1990, leaving the team and stadium in trust. Three of his nine children managed the estate.Tampa Bay Times and 2 moreEmily Dickinson: Black-white photograph of Emily Dickinson21886 · Amherst, MassachusettsEmily Dickinson's poems were edited by her brother's mistress, and her sister sued the mistress for a strip of landAfter Emily Dickinson died, her sister Lavinia found hundreds of unpublished poems. Mabel Loomis Todd, the lover of Emily's brother Austin, edited the first published volumes in the 1890s.archive.emilydickinson.org and 3 moreGordon Getty: Gordon and Ann Getty and children at service for J. Paul Getty (cropped) (2)1976 · Los Angeles and HoustonGordon Getty, sole trustee of the family trust, sold Getty Oil to Texaco, and his nieces petitioned to remove himJ. Paul Getty died in 1976. His family's 40 percent of Getty Oil sat in the Sarah C. Getty Trust, founded by his mother, and his son Gordon, a composer, became its sole trustee.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 morePeter Tosh: BushDoctor1978 (cropped2)1987 · his home, Kingston, JamaicaPeter Tosh died without a will; his ten children fought in a Manhattan court over his royaltiesPeter Tosh left no will. A court-appointed lawyer ran his estate for about 22 years. In 2009 his youngest child, Niambe McIntosh, took over as administrator. The estate earned about $150,000 to $300,000 a year.blackamericaweb.com and 3 moreJenni Rivera: Jenni Rivera performing in 2009 2 (cropped)2012 · near Iturbide, Nuevo León, MexicoJenni Rivera's children sued their grandfather's label for exploiting her music, and the family split in courtJenni Rivera, the best-selling female artist in regional Mexican music, died when her chartered Learjet crashed in Mexico. Her sister Rosie Rivera ran her legacy until Jenni's children took over the estate in 2021.remezcla.com and 2 moreMap of Illinois, marked on the globe2012 · Chicago, Illinois, USAA Chicago man died of cyanide the day after his $1 million lottery check was issued, and his widow and siblings fought over the estateUrooj Khan, 46, owned dry-cleaning businesses in Chicago. In June 2012 he won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket bought at a 7-Eleven. He took a lump sum; the state's check after tax was $424,449.NBC News and 2 moreGeorgia O'Keeffe1986 · Santa Fe, New MexicoGeorgia O'Keeffe's late codicils left most of a $65 million estate to her assistant, 58 years younger, and her family suedIn 1973 a young potter, Juan Hamilton, came to work for Georgia O'Keeffe at her New Mexico home. He was 58 years younger. As her eyesight failed he became her assistant and companion.UPI and 3 moreTennessee Williams: Tennessee Williams NYWTS1983 · New York CityTennessee Williams left his $10 million estate to Sewanee and his brother $25,000; the brother sued for undue influence and settled for $100,000Tennessee Williams signed his will in September 1980 and changed it slightly that December. It was filed in March 1983 with an estate of about $10 million.new.sewanee.edu and 4 moreRobert Mondavi: Robert Mondavi (1971) (cropped)2008 · Napa Valley, CaliforniaRobert Mondavi was pushed out of his family's winery after a fight with his brother, sued, and wonCesare and Rosa Mondavi bought the Charles Krug winery in 1943. Their sons Robert and Peter ran it. In 1965 the brothers fought over the business direction, reportedly including a physical fight, and Robert left.winespectator.com and 2 moreCornelius Vanderbilt: Cornelius Vanderbilt Daguerrotype2 (cropped)(b)1877 · 10 Washington Place, New York CityCornelius Vanderbilt left nearly all of $100 million to one son, and the son he passed over argued spiritualism had unhinged himCornelius Vanderbilt built a fortune in steamships and then railroads, including the New York Central. He died worth about $100 million.American Heritage and 3 morePierre Bonnard: Tête de Bonnard (Portrait photograph of Pierre Bonnard), c.1899, Musée d'Orsay, restaurée1947 · Le Cannet, FrancePierre Bonnard's wife had four unknown nieces; a French court ruled in 1951 that he forged her will, and the family won on appealPierre Bonnard's wife Marthe, who died in January 1942, had told him for decades that she had no family.lejournaldesarts.fr and 4 moreGoo Hara: 170807 구하라 (cropped)2019 · Seoul, South KoreaGoo Hara's mother left when she was a child and claimed half her estate; Korea changed its inheritance lawGoo Hara, a member of the girl group KARA, died at her Seoul home at 28. She had no spouse or children, so under Korean law her parents were her heirs.soompi.com and 3 moreAI illustration: The palaces of Bhopal above the Upper Lake, 19601960 · Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaBhopal's heiress left for Pakistan, her sister's line took the palaces, and in 2025 a court reopened Saif Ali Khan's inheritanceHamidullah Khan was the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. His eldest daughter and heir, Abida Sultan, moved to Pakistan; LiveLaw dates this to 1950 and Dawn dates her abdication to 1948. He died on 4 February 1960.LiveLaw and 4 moreJohn McCain: John McCain official portrait 2009 (3x4 cropped)2004 · Florenceville, New BrunswickThe McCain brothers fought over which nephew would run their french fry empire, and one brother was removedBrothers Harrison and Wallace McCain founded McCain Foods in 1957 and ran it together. In the 1990s they fought over succession: Wallace wanted his son Michael to run the company, and Harrison opposed it.Internet Archive and 2 moreAI illustration: The golden domes of the Istana Nurul Iman palace, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei1998 · Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; London; New YorkBrunei accused the sultan's brother of taking billions as finance minister, and the Privy Council ordered him to hand over his hotelsPrince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, was Brunei's finance minister and head of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) for 13 years.nycourts.gov and 2 moreAI illustration: An office tower on the flat prairie outside Wichita, Kansas, 1980s1967 · Wichita, Kansas, USABill Koch sold his stake for $1.1 billion, sued his brothers for more, lost, and settled after 20 yearsFred C. Koch founded the oil company that became Koch Industries in Wichita. He died in 1967 and left it to his sons, with advice to stand up for each other. His son Charles ran the company from 1967.case-law.vlex.com and 2 moreMap of Brazil, marked on the globe2020 · São Paulo, BrazilJoseph Safra's son sued his mother and brothers over the family bank, alleging his father had been influenced to change his will, and settled in 2024Jacob Safra founded the family bank, and his son Joseph took it over in 1955 and ran it with his brothers Edmond and Moise. Edmond died in 1999, and Joseph bought out Moise in 2006. Joseph died in December 2020, aged 82.forbes.com.br and 1 moreTereoboo, King of Owyhee, bringing presents to Captain Cook by John Webber: Kalaniopuu, King of Hawaii, bringing presents to Captain Cook. Shows a Hawaiian canoe with "crab-claw" a1782 · Hōnaunau, Kona, Hawaii, USAKalaniʻōpuʻu left Hawaiʻi Island to his son and the war god to his nephew Kamehameha, and the chiefs who got no land started the war that made Kamehameha kingAbraham Fornander, writing in 1880 from Hawaiian accounts, records that Kalaniʻōpuʻu, ruling chief of Hawaiʻi Island, called a council in Waipiʻo before he died.Internet Archive and 2 moreTomáš Baťa: Tomas Bata1932 · Otrokovice, near Zlín, CzechoslovakiaTomáš Baťa died in a plane crash, his half-brother took the shoe company, and the family litigated for 15 yearsTomáš Baťa died on 12 July 1932 when his Junkers F 13 crashed in fog near Zlín airport, on a business flight to Switzerland. That day his office safe was opened.zpravy.aktualne.cz and 8 moreAI illustration: Carlton House Terrace, London2023 · LondonA 2014 letter said the four Hinduja brothers owned everything jointly, and the eldest brother's daughters fought it through his dementia and deathSrichand Hinduja was the eldest of four brothers leading the Hinduja Group. On 2 July 2014 he and his brothers Gopichand, Prakash and Ashok signed a letter stating that assets held in any one brother's name belonged to all four.The National Archives, Find Case Law and 3 moreAI illustration: The conservatory of a London hotel, a recorder hidden in a plant pot2021 · LondonThe Barclay twins' nephews bugged the Ritz conservatory and recorded their uncle's business talksIdentical twins David and Frederick Barclay built a fortune held through family trusts that owned the Ritz Hotel, the Telegraph newspapers and the Very Group.thecaterer.com and 3 moreRené Lacoste 1927 Militaire a: Lacoste [en tenue militaire] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]2012 · Paris, FranceLacoste's chairman sued to annul his daughter's appointment, then both sides of the family sold to the Swiss partnerRené Lacoste, the tennis champion, founded the Lacoste brand in 1933. In 2005 his son Michel Lacoste replaced his brother Bernard as chief executive, and Michel's daughter Sophie Lacoste-Dournel joined the board.thelocal.fr and 2 more1910-1920 Gumurdjina Komotini Thrace: Historical photo (post-card + greek text) of Komotini2008 · Komotini, Western Thrace, GreeceA Greek Muslim left everything to his wife by notarial will, his sisters invoked sharia, and Greek courts cut her to a quarterChatitze Molla Sali, born in 1950, lives in Komotini. Her husband, a Greek citizen of the Muslim minority of Thrace, made a will before a notary under the Greek Civil Code and left her his entire estate.echrcaselaw.com and 3 moreAntónio Champalimaud: Retrato de António Champalimaud, obra de 2015 de Júlio Pomar, gravada em coluna de betão na esplanada do Centro Champalimaud, em Lisboa2004 · LisbonPortugal vetoed António Champalimaud's bank deal with Santander until Brussels overruled it for the first timeAntónio Champalimaud built a cement, steel, banking and insurance group under Salazar. His family fought over money for decades.European Commission and 10 moreDiana, Princess of Wales: Diana, Princess of Wales 1997 (2)1997 · Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, FrancePrincess Diana's executors changed her will after her death and gave each godchild one item instead of a quarter of her possessionsCharles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced on 28 August 1996. She received a lump sum reported at about £17 million and lost the style Her Royal Highness. A year later she died in a car crash in Paris.Wikipedia (English) and 1 moreAI illustration: A meat-packing plant in the flat farmland of Westphalia, 1990s1994 · MünsterRobert Tönnies sued his uncle Clemens to take back a 5 percent gift in the family meat groupBernd Tönnies founded a meat trading business in Rheda in 1971. His brother Clemens joined him, and in 1982 Bernd gave Clemens 40 percent. Bernd died on 1 July 1994, aged 42, after a kidney transplant.afz.fleischwirtschaft.de and 8 moreAI illustration: The European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg1990 · FranceFrench law gave a child born of adultery half a share of his mother's estate until Europe's human rights court ruled against it in 2000Claude Mazurek was born in Avignon in 1942. His mother was married to another man when he was conceived, which made him an "adulterine" child under the French Civil Code.European Court of Human Rights and 2 moreHussein of Jordan: 16.09.1963. Le roi de Jordanie à Sud Aviation. (1963)1999 · Amman, JordanKing Hussein of Jordan removed his brother as heir after 34 years, two weeks before he diedPrince Hassan bin Talal was named crown prince of Jordan in 1965 and held the position for 34 years. In January 1999 King Hussein returned from cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic.Wikipedia (English) and 1 moreKottayam Cheria Pally01: Cheria Pally Church outside in Kottayam, Kerala, India selfmade by pitichinaccio, 26 Dec 20051960 · Kottayam, Kerala, IndiaMary Roy's brother told her to leave their father's cottage, she sued, and the Supreme Court gave Kerala's Syrian Christian daughters equal shares back to 1951Mary Roy's father, the entomologist P. V. Isaac, died without a will.LiveLaw and 3 moreChâteau de Chambord LCCN20176597811883 · Château de Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, FranceFrance seized Chambord in 1915 because its owner served Austria, while his half-brothers, who fought for the Allies, sued him for a bigger shareIn 1821 a national subscription bought Chambord for the infant Duke of Bordeaux, born months after his father, the Duc de Berry, was assassinated.chambord.org and 6 moreJoseph Emory Davis: Joseph Emory Davis1870 · Davis Bend (now Davis Island), Warren County, Mississippi, UJoseph Davis sold his plantations to the man he had enslaved, and his brother Jefferson Davis sued the family for Brierfield and wonBenjamin Montgomery was sold in 1836 to Joseph Davis, a lawyer and cotton planter at Davis Bend who reportedly enslaved more than 200 people. Montgomery kept the books, ran the plantation store and managed the property.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov and 3 moreCOLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Susuhunan van Surakarta Pakoe Boewono X met echtgenote TMnr 60003511: Foto. Susuhunan van Surakarta, Pakoe Boewono X met echtgenote2025 · Kasunanan Palace, Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, IndonesiaTwo half-brothers were each crowned Pakubuwono XIII in 2004, and in 2025 two of the next king's sons each took the title Pakubuwono XIVPakubuwono XII of Surakarta died in June 2004 without a formally appointed queen consort, so no son was clearly heir. On 31 August 2004 senior relatives enthroned his son Tedjowulan as Pakubuwono XIII.thejakartapost.com and 8 moreMap of China, marked on the globe2021 · Baoshan district, Shanghai, ChinaAn 88-year-old Shanghai man signed his 3 million yuan home over to the fruit seller who cared for him, a court later declared him incapable, and the gift still stoodA Shanghai man surnamed Ma lost his wife in 2011 and his only son in 2017. He lived alone. In 2017, soon after his son died, he signed an agreement with Liu, who ran a fruit stall near his home.bjnews.com.cn and 2 moreSursock Palace main hall after explosion: Second hall of the Sursock Palace, emptied of most furnishings after the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Statue depicts the Allegory of the Ni2020 · Achrafieh, Beirut, LebanonOne Sursock left his Beirut villa to the city as a museum; another Sursock palace passed to a single heiress; the 2020 port blast hit both, and she died of her injuriesMoussa and Anastasia Sursock built their palace in Beirut in 1860 with the Balyan family of architects, who also worked for the Ottoman sultans.sursock.museum and 3 moreAI illustration: Airliners at Incheon International Airport, 20192019 · SeoulKorean Air's "nut rage" heiress joined an activist fund to oust her brother, and lost the shareholder voteCho Yang-ho, chairman of Hanjin Group and Korean Air, died in 2019, and his son Cho Won-tae became chairman.The Korea Times and 2 moreSinar Mas Center 20240113: Sinar Mas Center on the North Bund, Shanghai.2019 · Jakarta, IndonesiaA Sinar Mas son was left 1 billion rupiah, sued his half-brothers over an estate he put at 649 trillion rupiah, and lost his status as a legitimate childEka Tjipta Widjaja founded the Sinar Mas group. He died in January 2019. After the funeral, the family carried out his notarial will of 25 April 2008, deed No. 60. It named 34 people.finance.detik.com and 4 moreMap of Tanzania, marked on the globe2019 · Dubai, UAE; estate in Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaTanzanian tycoon Reginald Mengi's will left his estate to his second wife and their twins, and the High Court threw it outReginald Mengi died in Dubai on 2 May 2019, aged 75. A relative, Benson Benjamin Mengi, and three others filed Probate Case No. 39 of 2019 in the High Court at Dar es Salaam to be appointed under his will.theeastafrican.co.ke and 2 moreAI illustration: The International Commerce Centre tower above Hong Kong harbour at night2018 · Hong KongSun Hung Kai's chairman was removed by his mother and brothers, who said he was mentally ill, and cut from the family trustKwok Tak-seng founded Sun Hung Kai Properties and left control in a family trust. His eldest son Walter Kwok became chairman, with brothers Thomas and Raymond as vice-chairmen.familybusinessmagazine.com and 2 moreAI illustration: A pharmaceutical factory in Punjab, India, 20162016 · New Delhi and SingaporeThe Ranbaxy brothers sold their drug company for billions, owed the buyer Rs 3,500 crore, and were arrested over their lenderMalvinder and Shivinder Singh inherited control of Ranbaxy, India's largest drugmaker, and sold it to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo in 2008.scroll.in and 2 moreMap of Taiwan, marked on the globe2016 · Taipei, TaiwanEvergreen's founder left his whole personal fortune to his youngest son, the three older half-brothers removed him from the airline, and the courts upheld the willChang Yung-fa founded Evergreen Marine in 1968 with one used bulk ship and built Asia's largest container fleet and EVA Air. He had four children with his first wife, Lin Chin-chih, and one son, Chang Kuo-wei, with his second wife.taiwannews.com.tw and 3 moreAI illustration: The Seoul Central District Court, 20132015 · SeoulSamsung's founder's eldest son sued his brother Lee Kun-hee for 4.1 trillion won in shares and lostLee Byung-chul, founder of Samsung, passed over his eldest son Lee Maeng-hee and chose his third son, Lee Kun-hee, to lead the group.The Korea Times and 2 moreAI illustration: A furniture showroom in Tokyo, 20152015 · TokyoA Japanese furniture founder fired his daughter, she beat him in a proxy fight, and the company was soldKatsuhisa Otsuka founded Otsuka Kagu, a furniture retailer selling high-end furniture through large showrooms with sales staff. His daughter Kumiko Otsuka became president in 2009 and wanted a more open, lower-cost model.amt-law.com and 2 moreDhayah Fort, Ras Al Khaimah: A conical shaped hill at the edge of the palm gardens and at the foot of the mountains, served as a natural defense post for the oasis. People have use2010 · Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab EmiratesRas al-Khaimah's ruler removed his eldest son as heir after four decades; when the ruler died in 2010 the son came home to claim the throne and his guards were arrestedSaqr bin Mohammed took power in Ras al-Khaimah in 1948 in a bloodless palace coup against his uncle. His eldest son, Khalid, was crown prince for more than four decades.washingtoninstitute.org and 3 moreAI illustration: An airliner and a stack of tyres split by a line down the middle, Seoul, 20092009 · SeoulKumho's board fired one founding brother, the group split in two, and the brothers sued each other for yearsKumho Asiana Group was run under a joint management arrangement among the sons of its founder.Korea JoongAng Daily and 2 moreAI illustration: An oil refinery at Jamnagar, Gujarat, lit up at night2002 · Breach Candy Hospital, MumbaiDhirubhai Ambani died without a will; one son became Asia's richest man and the other told a court he was worth zeroDhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance and built it into one of India's largest groups. He died at 69 with no will and no succession plan. His sons, Mukesh and Anil, ran the group together.tribuneindia.com and 3 moreMap of India, marked on the globe1999 · Delhi, IndiaVineeta Sharma's father died in 1999 and the Delhi courts said she was too late to share the family property; the Supreme Court made every Hindu daughter a co-owner by birthUnder the Mitakshara school of Hindu law, sons own a share of ancestral property from birth as coparceners. Daughters did not.api.sci.gov.in and 3 moreMap of Lesotho, marked on the globe1996 · Ha Mamathe, Berea District, LesothoA Lesotho chief's eldest daughter sued to inherit his chieftainship, and the courts kept it in the male lineDavid Masupha, a descendant of King Moshoeshoe I, was principal chief of Ha Mamathe and surrounding villages. He died in 1996. Lesotho's Chieftainship Act of 1968 provides only for male succession.Cornell Law School, LII and 2 morePadmanabhaswamy Temple Gopuram: Padmanabhaswamy Temple Gopuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India1991 · Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, IndTravancore's last ruler died in 1991, the Kerala High Court said his brother could not inherit the temple's management, and the Supreme Court gave the family controlSree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, last ruler of Travancore, signed the 1949 covenant that joined his state to India. The law kept the temple under the "Ruler of Travancore." He died on 19 July 1991.LiveLaw and 1 moreImjingak Park & the Freedom Bridge: Imjingak park was built to console those from both sides who are unable to return to their hometowns, friends and families because of the divisi1987 · Seoul, South Korea; Sunchon County, North KoreaA doctor fled south in 1950 with one daughter, and 59 years later his four children left in North Korea sued their half-siblings for his estateA doctor surnamed Yoon ran a hospital in Sunchon County in North Korea. When the Korean War began in 1950 he fled south with only his eldest daughter. He left his wife and other children.nkeconwatch.com and 2 moreMap of Kenya, marked on the globe1986 · Nairobi and Nyamila, Nyalgunga, Siaya County, KenyaKenya's Court of Appeal gave S.M. Otieno's body to his brother and clan over his widow's objection, and he lay unburied for 140 daysSilvano Melea Otieno, a prominent Nairobi lawyer, was pronounced dead on arrival at Nairobi Hospital on 20 December 1986. He left no will.recordoflaw.in and 4 moreTsutsumi Yasuzirou1: 堤康次郎（Tsutsumi Yasuzirou）1964 · Tokyo, JapanSeibu's founder left his railway empire to his third son over the eldest, and that son was convicted in 2005 over shares kept in other people's namesYasujiro Tsutsumi founded Seibu Railway, built the Seibu group and served as President of Japan's House of Councillors. He kept control through a holding company, Kokudo.NBC News and 3 moreLady Jane Douglas: Crop of Portrait-Of-Lady-Jane-Douglas,-Full-Length,-As-A-Shepherdess-Seated-In-A-Landscape1827 · ScotlandLady Jane Douglas said she gave birth to twins in Paris at 50, and the Duke of Hamilton sued to prove her son was a stolen childArchibald, 1st Duke of Douglas, had no children. His sister Lady Jane Douglas, born in March 1698, married Colonel John Stewart in secret on 4 August 1746.Wikisource (primary text) and 3 moreKingPhilip 1827 BenjaminChurch SamuelDrake04264001: Description according to the metadata delivered with the image by the John Carter Brown Library: Portrait of King Philip or Meta1676 · Mount Hope (Bristol), Rhode Island, USAPlymouth put Metacom's head on a pole for about 20 years and sold his wife and nine-year-old son into slaveryMassasoit, sachem of the Wampanoag, signed a treaty with Plymouth Colony in 1621 and died in 1661.apps.lib.umich.edu and 3 moreCock Lane ghost: Cock Lane as seen in MEMOIRS OF EXTRAORDINARY POPULAR DELUSIONS AND THE Madness of Crowds, 18521760 · Cock Lane, Smithfield, London, EnglandKent inherited his dead lover's money, and her "ghost" accused him of poisoning her; a London jury convicted the ghost's handlers in 1762Kind 1. William Kent, a Norfolk innkeeper and moneylender, married Elizabeth Lynes, who died in childbirth. Canon law barred him from marrying her sister Fanny because Elizabeth had borne him a living child.Project Gutenberg and 2 moreHis Excellency General Sir Jang Bahadur Kunwar Rana (1817–1877), Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of Nepal: H.E. General Sir Jang Bahadur Kunwar Rana (1817-77), Prime Minister1877 · Kathmandu, NepalNepal's Rana prime ministers passed the office brother to brother by a roll; in 1934 the ruler struck off the sons of low-caste mothers, and their sons joined the party that opposed itJung Bahadur Kunwar seized power after the Kot massacre on the night of 14 September 1846.countrystudies.us and 4 moreHavishamFraser: Miss Havisham and Pip, in an illustration for the Household Edition of Dickens's Great Expectations.Fiction · 1860 · Kent and London, England (setting)In Great Expectations, Pip's secret fortune comes from a transported convict, and the Crown takes it when the convict is condemnedGreat Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens, serialised in All the Year Round from December 1860 to August 1861. Two inheritances drive it.legislation.gov.uk and 2 moreDingane - 'Bulalani abathakathi' - 1897: Dingane got up and yelled "Bulalani abathakathi" ("kill the magicians") and the warrior immediately killed the Boer representatives. In rea1828 · KwaDukuza (Stanger), KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaDingane and Mhlangana killed their half-brother Shaka in 1828, and their brother Mpande took the Zulu throne with Boer help in 1840Shaka ruled the Zulu kingdom. In September 1828, while his armies were away, his bodyguard Mbopha and his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana stabbed him near his barracks at Dukuza. His body was buried in a grain pit.Internet Archive and 5 morePortrait of Henry Frederick Howard, 22th Earl of Arundel (1608-1652) title QS:P1476,en:"Portrait of Henry Frederick Howa: Portrait of Henry Frederick Howard, 22th Earl of Arundel (1677 · Padua, Italy; estates in England, UKThe Earl of Arundel's heir went insane in Padua, his younger brothers fought over the family settlement, and the case created the rule against perpetuitiesHenry Frederick Howard, Earl of Arundel (1608 to 1652), had the lawyer Sir Orlando Bridgeman draft a settlement to keep the family land in the family.legislation.gov.uk and 4 moreLeonardo da Vinci: Portrait of Leonardo da Vincilabel QS:Len,"Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci"label QS:Les,"Retrato de Leonardo da Vinci"labe1519 · Clos Lucé, Amboise, FranceLeonardo da Vinci's legitimate half-brothers cut him out of their father's estate, and his will still left them money and landLeonardo was born on 15 April 1452 near Vinci, the illegitimate first child of the notary Piero da Vinci and Caterina di Meo Lippi. Piero married four times and had at least 16 legitimate children, the last born after his death.Treccani and 2 moreIndonesian: Penangkapan DiponegoroThe Arrest of Diponegorotitle QS:P1476,id:"Penangkapan Diponegoro"label QS:Lid,"Penang: Depicts the arrest of prince Diponegoro at the end of the 1855 · Fort Rotterdam, Makassar, IndonesiaPrince Diponegoro was arrested at peace talks in 1830, and the kris the Dutch returned in 2020 had been missing for decadesDiponegoro was the eldest son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of Yogyakarta by a concubine. He was passed over for the throne in favour of a younger half-brother and later a child sultan.thejakartapost.com and 3 moreMap of Egypt, marked on the globe1261 BCE · Saqqara and Memphis, EgyptMes sued to recover land granted to his ancestor Neshi under Ahmose I, after a court ruled against his mother on a false registerUnder Ahmose I, the king gave an estate to the treasurer Neshi as a reward. His descendants held it as one family property.Internet Archive and 1 morePtolemy VIII Physcon: Head of Ptolemy VIII130 BCE · Alexandria, Egypt, and CyprusPtolemy VIII married his sister Cleopatra II and then her daughter, and when his sister held Alexandria against him he sent her their son's head, hands and feetIn 145 BC Ptolemy VIII returned to Alexandria after his brother Ptolemy VI died and married his brother's widow, their sister Cleopatra II.University of Chicago, LacusCurtius and 2 moreArsinoe II: ArsinoeII269 BCE · Cassandreia (Kassandreia, Greece) and Alexandria, EgyptArsinoe II married her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos to protect her sons, he had two of them killed in her arms, and she then married her full brotherPtolemy I passed over his eldest son, Ptolemy Keraunos, son of Eurydice, and around 285 BC made the younger Ptolemy II, son of Berenice, his heir. Keraunos left Egypt.University of Chicago, LacusCurtius and 3 moreMapa podziału Księstwa Polskiego w 1102: The map of division of Polish Duchy in 1102, after death of Władysław I Herman.1138 · Płock, PolandBolesław III had his half-brother blinded, then split Poland among his sons in 1138, and the country stayed divided for about two centuriesBolesław III Krzywousty was born on 20 August 1086, son of Duke Władysław Herman. After his father died in 1102, he fought his half-brother Zbigniew for the country.zpe.gov.pl and 2 moreAn lang: Điện Long Ân, An Lăng, nơi thờ cúng vua Dục Đức, Thành Thái và Duy Tân1883 · Huế, VietnamEmperor Tự Đức's will called his heir unfit, and his regents crowned four emperors in just over a year and poisoned twoTự Đức ruled Vietnam from 1848. He had no children and adopted three nephews.vi.wikisource.org and 5 moreAga Khan I: l'Imam degli Ismailiti Aga Khan I (1817-81)1866 · Bombay (Mumbai), IndiaBombay Khoja dissidents sued the first Aga Khan for control of the community's funds, and a British judge ruled in 1866 that he was their hereditary imamHasan Ali Shah received the title Aga Khan from the Shah of Persia in 1818 and governed Kerman.Encyclopaedia Britannica and 1 moreGia Long: Emperor Gia Long1792 · Phú Xuân (Huế), VietnamGia Long dug up the Tây Sơn emperors in 1802, pounded their bones and locked their skulls in a prisonThe Tây Sơn brothers overthrew the Nguyễn lords and the Lê emperors. The second brother, Nguyễn Huệ, ruled as Emperor Quang Trung and drove out a Qing army in 1789.zh.wikisource.org and 3 moreAI illustration: Merchants and notaries at the Rialto in Venice, 16th century1569 · ConstantinopleGracia Nasi's sister Brianda sued her in Venice for half the Mendes fortune and denounced her as a secret JewBeatriz de Luna came from a Jewish family forcibly converted in Portugal in 1497. In 1528 she married her uncle Francisco Mendes, a Lisbon merchant banker.jstor.org and 5 moreCharlotte Mary Yonge: Photo of Charlotte Mary Yonge1487 · Rome, Italy; Kyrenia, CyprusQueen Charlotte of Cyprus lost her throne to her father's illegitimate son and signed her crowns of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia over to SavoyKing John II of Cyprus died in July 1458, and the Cypriot nobility backed his legitimate daughter, Charlotte. On 10 October 1458 her marriage to Louis of Savoy was concluded.medievalists.net and 3 moreYaropolk murder: Murder of Yaropolk972 · Kyiv and Ovruch, Ukraine; Novgorod, RussiaSviatoslav split Rus' among three sons, and within eight years one had died in battle with his brother and another was killed on the third brother's ordersYaropolk, son of Sviatoslav I, ruled Kyiv from 970. His brother Oleh held the Derevlian land and his half-brother Volodymyr held Novgorod. Sviatoslav died in 972, and Yaropolk became ruler of all Rus'.encyclopediaofukraine.com and 3 moreSeptimius Severus: Septimius Severus busto-Musei Capitolini211 · Eboracum (York), England; Palatine, Rome, ItalySeverus left Rome to two sons, their mother stopped them dividing the empire, and Caracalla had his brother killed in her armsThe emperor Septimius Severus died in Britain on 4 February 211. Cassius Dio says his illness carried him off "not without some help, they say," from his elder son Antoninus, known as Caracalla.University of Chicago, LacusCurtius and 2 moreDemosthenes orator Louvre: Bust of the Greek orator Demosthenes. Marble, Roman artwork, inspired from a bronze statue by Polyeuctos (ca. 280 BC). Found in Italy.345 BCE · Piraeus, Athens, GreeceA merchant died owing money on a Black Sea wine voyage, and his brother, a pupil of Isocrates, told the Athenian court he was not the heirA speech in the works of Demosthenes, Against Lacritus, preserves a loan contract. Androcles of Sphettus and Nausicrates of Carystus lent 3,000 drachmas to Artemo and Apollodorus of Phaselis for a round trip to the Black Sea.cases.som.yale.edu and 3 moreAGMA Kleroterion: Kleroterion. This device was used for the jury selection system in Athens. Bronze identification tickets were inserted to indicate eligible jurors who were also d350 BCE · Athens, GreeceClaimants to Hagnias's estate in Athens produced a forged will, lost, and then took the estate by three or four votesTwo courtroom speeches tell this fight: Isaeus 11, On the Estate of Hagnias, and the speech Against Macartatus preserved among the works of Demosthenes.cts.perseids.org and 2 morePassage leading from chamber of Newgrange passage tomb in Ireland: A section of the passage leading out from the chamber of Newgrange passage tomb in Ireland.3000 BCE · Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne), County Meath, IrelandThe man buried in the inner chamber of Newgrange was the son of a brother and sister or a parent and childNewgrange is a passage tomb built about 5,000 years ago, aligned so the winter-solstice sunrise lights its inner chamber.europepmc.org and 2 moreGold dinar of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, AH 391: Dinar de ouro do califa fatímida Aláqueme Bimar Alá1021 · Muqattam hills, Cairo, EgyptSitt al-Mulk set aside the Fatimid heir after the caliph al-Hakim disappeared in 1021 and put his son al-Zahir on the throneIn 1013 the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim named his cousin Abd al-Rahim ibn Ilyas, governor of Damascus, as heir, passing over his own son Ali. His half-sister Sitt al-Mulk, daughter of the previous caliph al-Aziz, backed Ali.islamansiklopedisi.org.tr and 3 moreMap of Turkey, marked on the globe41 BCE · Ephesus (near Selçuk, Turkey)Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe IV fought Caesar, walked in chains in his triumph and was killed at a temple on Antony's orders, and the skeleton said to be hers was a boy'sIn 48 BC, while Julius Caesar was besieged in Alexandria, Cleopatra's younger sister Arsinoe escaped the palace with her tutor, the eunuch Ganymedes, and proclaimed herself queen.University of Chicago, LacusCurtius and 5 more광해군묘: Tomb of Gwanghaegun of Joseon1608 · Ganghwa Island, Incheon, and Seoul, South KoreaKing Gwanghae's officials killed his eight-year-old half-brother in exile, and the boy's mother gave her name to the coup that deposed himKing Seonjo's heir was Gwanghaegun, his son by a concubine. In 1606, when Seonjo was 55, Queen Inmok bore him his only legitimate son, Grand Prince Yeongchang. The chief minister Yu Yeong-gyeong tried to have the infant made heir.encykorea.aks.ac.kr and 3 moreNicomedes IV of Bithynia: Bithynia - king Nikomedes IV - 94-74 BC - silver tetradrachm - head of Nikomedes IV - Zeus - München SMS 0174 BCE · Nicomedia (İzmit), TurkeyNicomedes IV left Bithynia to Rome, Mithridates said the queen had borne him a son, and Mithridates invadedNicomedes IV, king of Bithynia, was driven out by his brother, backed by Mithridates of Pontus, and restored by Roman envoys led by Manius Aquillius. Appian says the envoys then pressed him to raid Mithridates's land.University of Chicago, LacusCurtius and 4 moreEmpiezan las historias(Popol vuh): Title page of oldest known Popol Vuh manuscriptLegend · 1554 · Chichicastenango, Guatemala (where the book was kept)The Popol Vuh says twin boys found their dead father's ballgame gear hidden in the roof, and it led them to the lords of the underworld who had killed himThe Popol Vuh is the sacred book of the K'iche' Maya. Allen Christenson dates it to 1554 to 1558. The original is lost; the text survives in a copy made by the Dominican Francisco Ximénez in Chichicastenango in the early 1700s.mesoweb.com and 1 moreOnin War Scene 1: Onin War Scene 11490 · Kyoto, JapanA childless shogun adopted his brother as heir in 1464, then his wife bore a son, and the quarrel burned Kyoto for 11 yearsAshikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun, married Hino Tomiko in 1455. Their first son was stillborn in 1459.kotobank.jp and 3 moreMöngke Khan: Möngke enthroned. Tarikh-i Jahangushay-i Juvaini, 1438, Shiraz1259 · Diaoyu Fortress, Hechuan (Chongqing); Kaiping (Inner MongoliWhen Möngke died at a siege, two of his brothers were proclaimed Great Khan in the same year and fought for four yearsMöngke Khan died in the seventh month of 1259 at Diaoyu Mountain during the siege of a Song fortress near Chongqing, aged 52, without a designated successor. His brothers Kublai and Hülegü were away on campaign.zh.wikisource.org and 3 moreCalif al Mustansir Misr 1055: Calif_al_Mustansir_Misr_10551094 · Cairo, EgyptThe vizier al-Afdal put al-Musta'li on the Fatimid throne in 1094 over his elder brother Nizar, and the Ismailis splitAl-Mustansir, the eighth Fatimid imam-caliph, died in Cairo on 29 December 1094. Nizari tradition holds that he had designated his eldest son, Nizar.iis.ac.uk and 4 moreEmperor Tenji: Emperor Tenji (Kanou Tanyuu)671 · Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan; Yoshino, NaraEmperor Tenji passed over his brother for his son in 671, and the brother raised an army, won the throne and had the official history written by his own sonEmperor Tenji first trusted his younger brother, Prince Ōama, and treated him as his heir. As his son Prince Ōtomo grew up, Tenji favoured the son, and in the first month of 671 he made Ōtomo Grand Minister.Wikisource (primary text) and 4 moreMadina: "Madina" and "Majmua aulia ekram," bazaar art, 1950's Source: ebay, Mar. 2012634 · Medina, Saudi ArabiaFull brothers left with nothing asked the caliph Umar to treat their father as a donkey, and he changed his rulingThe case is called al-mushtaraka (the shared case), al-himariyya (the donkey case) or al-umariyya. A woman died leaving a husband, a mother, maternal half-brothers and full brothers.islamqa.info and 2 moreTaq Kasra - 1934: Taq Kasra - 1934628 · Ctesiphon, IraqPersia's crown prince overthrew his father to stop a half-brother's succession, executed him, killed his brothers, and died of plague within monthsKhosrow II ruled Persia from 590; he had come to power after his own father was deposed and blinded in a palace revolt led by Khosrow's uncles.iranicaonline.org and 2 moreBattle of Cunaxa: Battle of Cunaxa401 BCE · Cunaxa, near Babylon, IraqCyrus the Younger's mother argued he was born to a reigning king; his elder brother got the throne, killed him at Cunaxa and cut off his head and handHerodotus says that Darius I's sons quarrelled over the succession before his planned war on Egypt and Athens.perseus.tufts.edu and 4 moreMap of Egypt, marked on the globe1090 BCE · Sepermeru, south of Herakleopolis (near Beni Suef), EgyptThe Adoption Papyrus says an Egyptian stable master adopted his wife as his daughter to keep his estate from his siblings, and the widow freed and adopted their slave's childrenThe Adoption Papyrus, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (P. Ashmolean 1945.96), records two declarations from Sepermeru, a town south of Herakleopolis whose chief god was Seth.mediterraneoantico.it and 2 moreDe Historie van Iephtah (titel op object) Den Grooten Figuer-Bibel (serietitel), RP-P-1982-306-123: IdentificatieTitel(s): De Historie van Iephtah (titel op object). Den Grooten Fi1100 BCE · Mizpah, Gilead, JordanJudges says Gilead's sons drove their half-brother Jephthah out of the inheritance, then made him their chief, and his vow cost him his only daughterJudges 11 says Jephthah was a mighty warrior, the son of Gilead by a harlot.mechon-mamre.org and 2 moreThe disrobing of Draupadi title QS:P1476,en:"The disrobing of Draupadi "label QS:Len,"The disrobing of Draupadi ": The disrobing of Draupadi, a miniature of the Basohli SchoolLegend · 400 BCE · Hastinapura and Kurukshetra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, IndiThe Mahabharata says the blind elder brother lost the throne, and his cousin staked the kingdom, his brothers, himself and his wife at diceThe Mahabharata, traditionally attributed to Vyasa, is the longest Indian epic, with more than 100,000 verses.Wikisource (primary text) and 4 moreMap of the Mali Empire: Own work, based off of Gomez, M. (2018). African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa (1st ed.). Princeton University Press. Legend · 1224 · Manden, MaliThe Sundiata epic says the king wanted his crippled son to rule, the council crowned his half-brother, and the exiled son came back to found MaliThe Epic of Sundiata is oral tradition passed down by Manding griots. It reached print when Djibril Tamsir Niane published the version of the griot Mamoudou Kouyaté in French in 1960; an English translation followed in 1965.bu.edu and 2 more