Not so magic kingdom: Twin grandchildren of Walt Disney battle it out over disputed $400 million inheritance
- Michelle and Bradford Lund are the twin children of entertainment tycoon Walt Disney's late daughter Sharon Disney Lund
- Both twins were left around $400 million by their mother to be received in lump sums and installments and controlled by a trust
- Brad isn't receiving his payments because the trust has deemed him unable to 'manage funds wisely' because of his chronic mental 'incompetence'
- Brad and their father Bill Lund are suing Michelle and the trustees to wrest away control of Brad's millions
- Michelle and Brad haven't spoken since 2009 and their trial four years in the making finally begins December 5
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The twin grandchildren of entertainment tycoon Walt Disney have been locked in a battle royale over a $400 million fortune since 2009 and it will all come to a head December 5 when the two sides finally meet in a California court.
Michelle Lund and her brother Brad Lund haven’t spoken in four years as they each try to wrest control of the massive trust fund left to them when their mother, Disney’s youngest daughter Sharon Disney Lund, died in 1993.
On one side of the bitter family feud are Brad and the twins’ father Bill Lund. On the other are Michelle and the fund’s trustees, with both sides accusing the other of incompetence, wrongdoing, and flat-out greed.
Disney v. Disney: The twin grandchildren of Walt Disney, Brad Lund (left) and Michelle Lund (right) daughter are embroiled in a bitter, four-year-long family feud over their $400 million chunk of the entertainment empire left to them by their mother
Trust fund: They are the children of Walt's daughter Sharon, who stipulated in her will that Brad and Michelle should each receive lump sums of tens of millions every 5 years as well as more regular installments, to be doled out by a group of trustees
The saga began in 2009 after Michelle, who lives in Newport Beach, California, suddenly fell ill after a night out with friends.
Before she even turned 40, she’d suffered a devastating aneurysm. Family members gathered around her, expecting the worst.
Even as she lay in a hospital fighting for her life, Michelle’s family began to squabble.
Bill Lund wanted to move his daughter to a Arizona, where he lives. According to NBC News, the estate’s trustees objected and filed suit against him.
A family company: On their way to Europe on the Queen Elizabeth at right are Sharon Disney at 13, alongside her father Walt, mother Lillian (center) and sister Diane at 16 (left)
Michelle made a miraculous recovery, but the wounds first opened before she’d even returned to her feet have been slower to heal.
The twins haven’t spoken since 2009, when the trustees stopped paying out Brad’s payments from the estate. In a statement to NBC, the trustees write that under the terms set by his late mother they have, ‘full discretion to withhold distributions if (the beneficiary) doesn’t demonstrate the maturity and financial ability to manage the funds wisely.’
Michelle and the trustees say Brad suffers from a ‘chronic cognitive disability’ and have claimed he has Down’s Syndrome, a condition with which he’s never been diagnosed.
Fit to be a millionaire? The debate centers around Brad Lund's (pictured) fitness to receive the millions. Michelle and the trustees say he's incompetent and have withheld his cash for years
Lines drawn: The twins' father Bill Lund, who once helped his father-in-law scout out the Florida land that would become Disney World, has taken Brad's side. His daughter Michelle says he's just after the money
They also maintain that Bill Lund—who is wealthy in his own right and was pivotal in helping his late father-in-law stake out the Orlando land that would one day become Disney World—has taken advantage of his son in order personally profit from the $1 million per year he’s due from the trust.
The father and son deny wrongdoing and in their suit to take control of Brad’s money away from the trustees they allege that Michelle is the one who is incompetent because she suffered ‘permanent brain damage’ as a result of her aneurysm.
Bill admits his son has ‘some learning issues’ but is adamant he’s able to manage his own money and should be allowed to do so.
He says the trustees are the ones behaving unlawfully.
‘It’s their career,’ Bill told NBC. ‘This is tragic. If Walt were here he’d be appalled. He’d be absolutely appalled and so would Sharon at the way the trustees have acted.’
Brad Lund agreed. He believes the trustees are the ones steering the ship, not his sister.
‘She’s being controlled by someone who’s got the remote control,’ he said. ‘Like she’s a robot. We’ve been at this for four years.’
Back in 2010 as the fight was still only heating up, Michelle Lund told the Arizona Republic that she only wants what’s best for her brother.
‘I'm not doing this to hurt my father,’ she said. ‘I'm doing this because it is the right thing to do…I do think Brad needs protection.’
FAMILIAL DISNEY-CORD: WHAT STARTED THE BATTLE OVER $400M FORTUNE?
Once close siblings, Walt Disney's grandkids Michelle and Brad Lund are now embroiled in a battle over their $400 and haven't spoken in four years.
On one side are Brad Lund and the twins' father Bill Lund. They say the trustees, who haven't paid Brad his multi-million installments in years, are controlling Michelle like a 'robot.'
In the other corner are Michelle and the trustees. They say Brad is mentally incompetent and cannot handle the millions and go so far as to suggest he has Down's Syndrome, though he's never been diagnosed.
THE FEUD BEGINS
The battle began Labor Day 2009 after Michelle had a near fatal aneurysm.
As she fought for her life, her father tried to move her to Arizona, where he lives.
The trustees then filed suit to stop him. When Michelle recovered, she joined them.
Now Bill is fighting alongside Brad to wrest control of Brad's funds away from the trustees.
They she suffered brain damage as a result of her aneurysm.
WORRIES OVER COMPETENCE
After the suit over where Michelle should be treated came a suit over Brad's care.
He had been living for years with Bill, a stepsister, and Bill's current wife Sherry.
But family including the twins' half sisters (Bill's daughter's from another marriage) and the twins' aunt Diane Disney Miller (the older sister of their mother Sharon) worried he was being used for his money.
VIEW A FAMILY TREE OF THE FEUDING PARTIES
In a Maricopa County, Ariziona court filing, they called him 'a virtual captive' in the home, though brad has denied this.
'I trusted him, I loved him, I admired him,' Michelle told The Arizona Republic. 'Now, I love him, not the way I used to. He is not the man I once knew.'
On one side are Brad Lund and the twins' father Bill Lund. They say the trustees, who haven't paid Brad his multi-million installments in years, are controlling Michelle like a 'robot.'
Late aunt: Diane Disney Miller, aunt to the twins and daughter to Walt, died just last Tuesday. She and two of the twins' half sisters petitioned in a Maricopa County, Arizona court to have a guardian appointed to her nephew Brad in the belief Bill was taking advantage of him
In the other corner are Michelle and the trustees. They say Brad is mentally incompetent and cannot handle the millions and go so far as to suggest he has Down's Syndrome, though he's never been diagnosed.
THE FEUD BEGINS
The battle began Labor Day 2009 after Michelle had a near fatal aneurysm.
As she fought for her life, her father tried to move her to Arizona, where he lives.
The trustees then filed suit to stop him. When Michelle recovered, she joined them.
Now Bill is fighting alongside Brad to wrest control of Brad's funds away from the trustees.
They she suffered brain damage as a result of her aneurysm.
WORRIES OVER COMPETENCE
After the suit over where Michelle should be treated came a suit over Brad's care.
He had been living for years with Bill, a stepsister, and Bill's current wife Sherry.
But family including the twins' half sisters (Bill's daughter's from another marriage) and the twins' aunt Diane Disney Miller (the older sister of their mother Sharon) worried he was being used for his money.
VIEW A FAMILY TREE OF THE FEUDING PARTIES
In a Maricopa County, Ariziona court filing, they called him 'a virtual captive' in the home, though brad has denied this.
'I trusted him, I loved him, I admired him,' Michelle told The Arizona Republic. 'Now, I love him, not the way I used to. He is not the man I once knew.'
'I have no desire to destroy the Lund family,' said Gifford. 'Bill was forced out of the trust by his own misconduct.'
After four years of legal challenges and counter challenges, the two sides finally meet in court December 5.
Troubled legacy: ¿This is tragic. If Walt were here he¿d be appalled. He¿d be absolutely appalled and so would Sharon at the way the trustees have acted,' said Bill Lund
Trust-worthy? Michelle Lund (left) along with the trustees like attorney L. Andrew Gifford, are themselves accused of misdoings in the lawsuit, which after four years finally sees a California court December 5. Brad and Bill Lund say Michelle's being controlled by the trustees, who Bill says have made a 'career' from the estate
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513266/Not-magic-kingdom-Twin-grandchildren-Walt-Disney-battle-disputed-400-million-inheritance.html#ixzz2mE46Lgpc
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