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jokur_and_batmon
· 5 years ago
· FIRST
Ouch no one was at their wedding
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guest_
· 5 years ago
Did they love each other? I don’t know. Were they a dirty old man and a greedy young woman just using each other? That I also don’t know. What I can say is there isn’t even a bitter and dark happiness to the whole thing. Smith sued the estate along with a son who had been disinherited to claim money. Smith lost in Texas, sued under different claims in California- won a huge settlement, the estate challenged- and that fight was raging until 2006. It went to the Supreme Court where it was ruled not that she get the money- but that she COULD sue. But the still naked son died 6 months later and then smith within a year. But it didn’t end. The wife of the son of the man who’s estate was being fought over continued to fight against smiths lawyers who kept fighting for her estate!
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guest_
· 5 years ago
Basically all the kids in the will were also contesting and suing each other and fighting court battles over taxes. One judge was responsible for most of the smith estates case- a case that was being fought for over 20 years with everyone originally involved already dead. In 2017 the judge responsible literally said in open court that he was flying off the handle and was done. He said that he wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life like “this.” He chided everyone involved saying that they didn’t want to settle- they didn’t want the case to end. He said that they squabbles over small fractions of many billions but were happy to keep paying lawyers for decades. He begged that someone please rescue him.
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guest_
· 5 years ago
He recused himself a week later quitting the case, and set a planned retirement for 2019 from a life long career as a judge. As of last year- and as far as I know to this day the case drags on is US courts under a different judge.
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guest_
· 5 years ago
Now it may seem open and shut, that a rich old guy marrying a young playboy bunny- a clear marriage for money? But many people swore and still swear that the two got along great and if not love- genuinely got along well and were great companions. It’s also of note that after the marriage- the son who originally fought against smith took control of his fathers will and estate while the father was alive- so it isn’t necessarily that the father/husband never wanted smith in the will- regardless of his wishes his son had the control. There has never been solid evidence the son acted against his fathers wishes- and no evidence that Smith didn’t love and care for her husband. There is just doubt and the word of a son who stood to inherit a huge sum and didn’t like his fathers wife- and a much younger wife who says her husband wanted her to inherit a chunk of that huge sum.
guest_
· 5 years ago
Regardless so much of that money has ended up tied up in court instead of going to use- and so much has been spent on court cases that by now- everyone involved would probably have and still would do better to just divy it up. The original parties said it was principal- but it arguably seemed more like spite. The lawyers have continued on “principal” but with hundreds of millions or even billions at stake and their share of any settlement for 20 years of work- one could argue for them it’s about dragging this out until someone gives up and they get a HUGE payday- on top of fees likely charged not contingent on settlement.
guest_
· 5 years ago
It’s Ames’s that’s consumed and ruined the lives of or tortured many over decades, where so far there haven’t really been any happy endings- and many involved have been steeped in tragedy. There’s certainly greed and malice, hate, spite, and a family rocked by deaths and bad blood. While it’s not a murder or anything of that magnitude- it’s an ugly, ugly case that shows some of the darkest sides of court and money and law.
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Edited 5 years ago
metaanalysis
· 5 years ago
I'd just like to say that I appreciate your well-researched comments. I may not always agree with your take on the facts (not that I can think of a specific instance, but I doubt I totally agree with anyone), but I trust your integrity and recognize your thoughtfulness.
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guest_
· 5 years ago
Thank you. I will endeavor to continue to uphold a standard of integrity and research. And it’s ok to disagree- anyone who we can’t ever disagree with is never wrong- and I’ve never met anyone including myself who was never wrong.
