This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

The Bettencourt Affair by Tom Sancton

Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the L’Oreal fortune and the world’s wealthiest woman, greatly valued her friendship with Francois-Marie Banier, an artist and photographer 25 years younger, who was both attentive and entertaining. Liliane and her husband Andre thought of Banier almost as family. When Liliane mused that she might adopt him and make him an heir, the Bettencourts’ daughter and only child took action, bringing to light the hundreds of millions of dollars in gifts her mother showered on Banier. The ensuing lawsuits fractured a family, entangled a president, and fascinated Paris for years. A great read!

Ginger, Breakwater Books,

Guilford