Money | 07/16/2009 9:10 am

Swindled? L'Oréal Heiress Liliane Bettencourt, 86, Gave $1 Billion to Handsome Photog Friend

Liliane Bettencourt’s only daughter, Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, claims photographer François-Marie Banier manipulated her aging mother.

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

The heiress to the L’Oréal fortune (and France’s richest woman) lavished her young, male photographer friend, Francois-Marie Banier, over the years with gifts worth a whopping $1.4 billion, reports the Daily Mail. Bettencourt’s only daughter, Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, launched an investigation that has lead to a trial to see if the handsome Banier took advantage of the 86-year-old.

Bettencourt’s daughter filed suit in 2008 following the death of her father, Andre Bettencourt, in fear that the family’s fortune would not be in good hands. Meanwhile, the aging heiress refuses to undergo psychological tests and has dismissed her daughter’s claim as "very stupid."

Is this a case of a daughter seeking to protect her mother from manipulation? Is jealousy to blame? We’ll have to wait until September, which is when the trial begins.

10 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Of course he took advantage of her—my heavens, 1.4 billion in gifts—what the hell could this woman have bought him? A small country maybe?

By F P on 07/16/2009 9:19 am

e-mail alert

F P I think she gave him Luxemburg.

By Jeannot Kensinger on 07/16/2009 9:48 am

e-mail alert

Oh that’s funny! I’m confused though. isn’t the money hers? I mean… how is it that her daughter can take her to court? if it’s her money and she wants a super expensive boy toy… it’s her money! it’s not like she’s an 18 year old kid. she’s 86 for cryin out loud. if you can’t spend your money the way you want at 86 when can you?

By Chrome Toe on 07/16/2009 9:56 am

e-mail alert

Chrome: it looks like the daughter is afraid ther won’t be anything left for her.

By Irish Eyes NY on 07/22/2009 8:31 am

e-mail alert

This news is more than sad! … This isn’t about some "boy-toy." This poor woman was probably lonely and this piece of dog poop took advantage of her vulnerability.

I’d like to know where was her daughter and family when all of this was going on? Didn’t her business managers notice anything? Something smells fishy in Denmark! Stealing $1.4 billion didn’t just happen overnight.

The poor woman needs psychological testing quick, fast and in a hurry. It’s painfully obvious there’s a card missing in this deck.

By L. C. on 07/16/2009 11:12 am

e-mail alert

This lady may not be of sound mind. I would do as the daughter is doing if it were my mother.

By Beth Cornell on 07/16/2009 2:38 pm

e-mail alert

Beth Cornell

My sentiments exactly!

Her mother is 86 yrs of age. How often does she visit her?… What kind of relationship do they have? … Did she not see this dog poop hanging around just a little too often, that is if she visited? … At some point do you not have a conversation with mom about her ( affairs being in order?)

What a royal mess!

By L. C. on 07/16/2009 3:44 pm

e-mail alert

First this is really quite sad. We sometimes are afraid to age,men and women. Maybe this was her way of buying him to compliment her and make her feel special. As for the daughter I am sure she is concerned. I don’t know that mom should be psychologically tested maybe she just needs companionship.

By S G on 07/16/2009 4:03 pm