London -
Eight men were found guilty on Thursday of “taking advantage” of Liliane Bettencourt, the world’s richest woman.
A court in Bordeaux, south-west France, handed down prison sentences to four of those convicted of exploiting the 92-year-old L’Oreal heiress, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, for personal gain.
They included Francois-Marie Banier, a society photographer who was once her “closest friend” in Paris.
He received “gifts” from her including paintings by Matisse and Picasso, as well as a massive slice of her £25 billion fortune.
He told the court “she found pleasure in giving the money” but her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyers, filed charges against him for exploiting her mother’s mental fragility.
Banier was sentenced to three years in prison and fined £270 000.
He was ordered to pay compensation of £114million to Mrs Bettencourt’s family.
Daily Mail