The secret battle for a billion-dollar Afterpay fortune
This is the untold story of an untimely death that led to a two-year court battle for control of shares in Australia’s most spectacular tech success.
The Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como in Italy was one of the venues for Adrian Cleeve's nuptial celebrations with his bride Wendy Ng.
One fine day in May 2016 on the shores of Lake Como, Adrian Xavier Cleeve exchanged vows with his 31-year-old bride, Wendy Ng. The chief executive of a recently listed tech company, Cleeve spared no expense, lavishing his fiancee with a $118,000 engagement ring to mark the end of a long courtship. The outlay for the special day was at least $320,000.
Cleeve had reason to savour the moment. His payments company, Touchcorp, was performing well on the sharemarket as it eyed expansion. Meanwhile, a side bet to customise its tech for an ambitious start-up called Afterpay was working out well.
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