Jimmy Buffett’s widow, Jane Buffett, is locked in a contentious legal battle over the late singer’s $275 million estate.
In a petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, Jane, 46, asked the court to remove Richard Mozenter as co-trustee of her late husband’s estate, claiming that he’s acted “openly hostile” towards her since Jimmy died in Sept. 2023 at age 76, according to Variety.
Jane accused Mozenter, an accountant at the business management firm Gelfand Rennert & Feldman, of mismanaging the trust and not acting in her best interests, including allegedly withholding financial information from the family.
Mozenter, according to Jane, told her in February that the estate would pay her less than $2 million annually at a rate of return of less than one percent. She reportedly found this estimate “shocking” since Mozenter allegedly acknowledged that Jimmy’s Margaritaville company, in which the trust owns a roughly 20 percent stake, paid out $14 million over the past 18 months, according to Variety.
“Mr. Mozenter has belittled, disrespected, and condescended to Mrs. Buffett in response to her reasonable requests for information she undoubtedly was entitled to receive,” Jane’s filing reportedly stated.
Jane also claimed that she asked Mozenter to resign as co-trustee on May 30, but he allegedly “refused, insisting that he remain in a position of authority over her wealth.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mozenter filed his own petition in Florida state court seeking to remove Jane as co-trustee and personal representative of the estate.
Mozenter, in his filing, allegedly claimed that Jimmy purposefully limited Jane’s control of the trust because of concerns about her “ability to manage and control his assets.”
“Other than serving as a non-controlling trustee, Jane has no ability to manage the trust. This fact has made Jane very angry,” Mozenter’s attorneys reportedly stated. “As a result, Jane has repeatedly acted in a hostile manner toward Rick and has been completely uncooperative with Rick in his attempts to administer the trust.”
Jane and Mozenter are now each seeking to axe the other from their role with the estate and appoint a new co-trustee.
The Post has reached out to Mozenter for comment.
On Tuesday, a close friend of the Buffetts told People that Jane and her inner circle are upset over the legal drama.
“Jimmy would never have wanted Jane to be treated like this,” the friend claimed.
“[I] know how close Jimmy and Jane were all these years, and how Jimmy relied upon and trusted Jane around so many of his important decisions in his life and career,” they added.
Jimmy and Jane were married for 46 years before the singer died of Merkel cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in Sept. 2023.
The couple share three children: daughters Savannah, 46, and Delaney, 33, and son Cameron, 30.
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