The siblings of a lawyer turned health drinks entrepreneur, known for his aversion to taxation, are embroiled in a legal dispute with his former partner over a lucrative estate worth millions.

Alan Lorenz amassed his wealth after leaving a career as a divorce lawyer to venture into the health sector by selling weight-loss shakes, joining Herbalife in 1984.

By the time of his passing in 2021, Lorenz’s estate was substantial, including a £3.5 million property in Malta, a £4 million residence in Mayfair, central London, £8.8 million in cash, and £2.1 million in shares of the health drinks company.

Upon his death at 78, Lorenz designated his Maltese partner, Sheila Caruana, as the sole beneficiary of his estate, just weeks after they formalized their civil partnership.

This decision has sparked a legal conflict with Lorenz’s brothers, Robert, 81, and Anthony, 77, as well as his sister, Vanessa Manasseh, 79. A High Court ruling last year rejected the siblings’ claim to half of Lorenz’s estate.

The ongoing case has escalated to the Court of Appeal. The siblings contend that their brother trusted Caruana to ensure that his family was fairly compensated and argued that he had a pronounced dislike for paying taxes, which motivated him to leave the bulk of his estate to avoid inheritance tax.

The court heard mention of a potential “secret trust” where Caruana was expected to inherit Lorenz’s assets with the stipulation of sharing half with his siblings. However, Caruana, significantly younger than Lorenz, is contesting their claim, asserting that she is not legally obligated to provide for them.

This family dispute, which began in 2023, is currently being reviewed by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, Lord Justice Zacaroli, and Mr. Justice Cobb.

In earlier hearings, it was revealed that Lorenz achieved prominence at Herbalife, a company established in 1980 for weight loss solutions, and expanded into various nutritional products. Lorenz met Caruana through his work at the company in 2012, and began planning for the financial implications of his death.

While earlier wills allocated portions of his estate to his siblings, in 2020, Lorenz crafted a new will that exclusively favored Caruana.

The siblings have presented their case emphasizing Lorenz’s longstanding pattern of aggressive tax avoidance, asserting that he harbored a strong dislike for tax payments.

Representing the siblings, Richard Wilson KC argued that the High Court judge erred in dismissing their claim. He maintained that Robert Lorenz’s assertion, supported by the other siblings, was that their brother had conveyed oral instructions to Caruana regarding the handling of his estate, which he claimed established a secret trust.

Wilson stated, “There is clear evidence that instructions were given,” asserting that a commitment from Caruana existed to provide for Lorenz’s siblings in alignment with his consistent intentions.

Conversely, Penelope Reed KC, representing Caruana, claimed that the appeal should be denied, as Lorenz allegedly only communicated vague intentions regarding gifts to his family after his death.

The judges have reserved their ruling for a later date.