Chapter 11 - THE BIRTHDAY VIDEO SAVED MORE THAN LILYEthan’s video captured background details too.
A second conversation.
Diane speaking with a woman named Karen Lowe.
Family financial adviser.
Karen said:
“Once Michael signs the parental asset delegation, you’ll have more flexibility.”
Michael stared when he heard that.
“What parental asset delegation?”
He had received paperwork three weeks earlier.
Diane told him it was routine tax planning.
He had not signed yet.
Good.
The document would have allowed a family advisory committee to make recommendations concerning certain minor-beneficiary investments during “periods of parental instability.”
Not direct control.
Still dangerous in the wrong hands.
The definition of instability included:
Pending separation.
Criminal allegation involving a child.
Serious family conflict.
Diane was apparently trying to create all three.
First Lily accused of theft.
Then provoke me.
Then pressure Michael into delegating influence.
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The scheme was more coherent than we realized.
And the birthday party was supposed to generate the crisis.
