The media has been abuzz with news that the adopted son of Oscar De la Renta was lumped together with three step siblings in the will of the late fashion icon. There are also reports that the son was threatened with complete disinheritance if he ever challenged the will. The bad blood has been reported to come from an attempt to set up a rival design house by the son which Mr. De La Renta vigorously opposed. However, the threatened disinheritance was likely a reference to a common clause in wills and the fact the step children are treated the same is in no small part due to the long term familial relationship. Ultimately, this appears to be a case of playing up minor controversies to create a story of strife where little exist.
See David H. Lenok, Oscar de la Renta’s Will “Snubs” Adopted Son, Wealth Management, June 2, 2015.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse for bringing this article to my attention.
