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| Feng shui master denied Wang cash | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A court in Hong Kong has thrown out a feng shui master's claim to the multi-billion dollar estate of Asia's richest woman, Nina Wang. | A court in Hong Kong has thrown out a feng shui master's claim to the multi-billion dollar estate of Asia's richest woman, Nina Wang. |
| Tony Chan, who said he was Nina Wang's lover, had argued she left him her fortune in a 2006 will. | Tony Chan, who said he was Nina Wang's lover, had argued she left him her fortune in a 2006 will. |
| But a high court judge said the will was a fake and a 2002 will was valid which left the estate to a charitable trust run by Wang's family. | But a high court judge said the will was a fake and a 2002 will was valid which left the estate to a charitable trust run by Wang's family. |
| Nina Wang's Chinachem was worth $4.2bn (£2.1bn) when she died in 2007. | Nina Wang's Chinachem was worth $4.2bn (£2.1bn) when she died in 2007. |
| The fortune had been part of an earlier dispute with her father-in-law. | The fortune had been part of an earlier dispute with her father-in-law. |
| Kidnapping | Kidnapping |
| High Court Judge Lam Man-hon ruled: "The court finds that the 2006 will was not signed by Nina." | High Court Judge Lam Man-hon ruled: "The court finds that the 2006 will was not signed by Nina." |
| Mr Chan's lawyer said he would appeal against the verdict | |
| The competing 2002 document left the estate to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, which was set up by Wang and her husband and is run by members of her family. | The competing 2002 document left the estate to the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, which was set up by Wang and her husband and is run by members of her family. |
| "The 2002 will truly reflected the long-held intention on the part of Nina to leave her estate to charity," the ruling said. | "The 2002 will truly reflected the long-held intention on the part of Nina to leave her estate to charity," the ruling said. |
| The Chinachem Charitable Foundation's lawyer, Keith Ho, told reporters outside the High Court that the foundation was "very happy with the result". | |
| "The main point is that the judge accepted the evidence from us that some signatures in the 2006 will are forgeries," he said. | |
| Mr Ho said the foundation would continue to "carry out its charitable purpose". | |
| Mr Chan's lawyer said his client was "extremely disappointed" by the judgment. | |
| "But he appreciates how difficult this sort of trial is to judge and that there has to be a judgment," said Jonathan Midgley. | |
| He said Mr Chan's position remained "the same as it has always been - namely that the will in question was given to him by Nina and accordingly it is inconceivable that that will is a forgery". | |
| Mr Midgley said Mr Chan would appeal against the ruling. | |
| Frugal life | |
| By the time Nina Wang died of cancer in 2007, she had created a huge business empire - a conglomerate of high-rise towers and companies around the world. | By the time Nina Wang died of cancer in 2007, she had created a huge business empire - a conglomerate of high-rise towers and companies around the world. |
| Nina Wang: a battle of wills | |
| She wore miniskirts and her hair in pigtails into old age and was reputedly very frugal, despite her wealth, says the BBC's Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong. | She wore miniskirts and her hair in pigtails into old age and was reputedly very frugal, despite her wealth, says the BBC's Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong. |
| Her life was marked by the 1990 kidnap and disappearance of her husband, Teddy Wang Teh-huei. | Her life was marked by the 1990 kidnap and disappearance of her husband, Teddy Wang Teh-huei. |
| Nina Wang paid half the HK$60m (US$7.7m) ransom for him early on, before proof of life had been made and, unusually, the money and most of the kidnappers were found, but never the body of Teddy Wang. | Nina Wang paid half the HK$60m (US$7.7m) ransom for him early on, before proof of life had been made and, unusually, the money and most of the kidnappers were found, but never the body of Teddy Wang. |
| When he never came back she refused to accept his death and reportedly spoke of wanting to join him. | When he never came back she refused to accept his death and reportedly spoke of wanting to join him. |
| Teddy's father later claimed his son's fortune as his own, alleging that Teddy had been upset at an alleged affair of Nina's. | Teddy's father later claimed his son's fortune as his own, alleging that Teddy had been upset at an alleged affair of Nina's. |
| It was the father who pressed for Teddy to be declared legally dead nine years later, prompting Nina to produce the hand-written will showing the fortune was hers. | It was the father who pressed for Teddy to be declared legally dead nine years later, prompting Nina to produce the hand-written will showing the fortune was hers. |
| A court ruled it was a forgery in 2002 but a higher court reversed that ruling in 2005, and Nina Wang inherited the estate. | A court ruled it was a forgery in 2002 but a higher court reversed that ruling in 2005, and Nina Wang inherited the estate. |