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BY AMY WILLMOTT
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Former Penthouse model and escort Madison Ashton continues her court fight for a slice of late Aussie billionaire Richard Pratt’s estate controlled by his wife; revealing embarassing details for Pratt and another of his mistresses.
Ashton claims the cardboard kingpin promised her $500,000 a year and $5 million in trust funds to become his full-time escort in 2003. Ashton hasn’t received a penny since his death in 2009. Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph reports another of Pratt’s long-term mistresses, Shari-Lea Hitchcock, has profited greatly.
“Mr Pratt, worth about $5 billion in property and company assets, left Paula $22.8 million in shares, while mother and daughter stood to gain another $5.7 million in shares controlled by a trust company.”
Things turned nasty in court, Ashton alleges Ms. Hitchcock threatened to blackmail the cardboard king with a diary that Hitchcock said contained incriminating information:
“Ms Hitchcock allegedly told Ms Ashton... "I have told Richard if he ever abandons me I will have this diary published, which will bring down Richard, his empire and his friends, and I have got plenty on them.”
The Sydney Morning Herald writes Pratt’s close advisor, Tony Gray, told the court he’s tired of the public fights with mistresses:
“The family is constantly trying to keep people like you and Shari [another of Mr Pratt's mistresses, Shari-Lea Hitchcock] out of Richard's life. The family keeps paying for Richard's indiscretions. Millions of dollars have been paid out.”
As the cat fight continues in court, Smart Company’s Entrepreneur Watch question why the court case has gone on for so long.
“For a family worth more than $5 billion, settling Ashton's claim would have been quick and a lot less painless than sitting through an embarrassing court trial.”
The blog The Power Index says the embarrassing court trial could have been avoided. All Pratt needed was a signature.
“Note to billionaire philanderers: get your lovers to sign a confidentiality agreement, and include a clause to ensure all details of your affair will be kept secret if the dispute goes to court.”
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