Ex-Disney exec Rich Frank cheated widow, kids out – Business News
A former prime Disney exec allegedly hatched a treacherous plot to grab an acclaimed Napa Valley restaurant from the property of late superstar chef Michael Chiarello — dishonest the chef’s widow and youngsters out of their inheritance, in accordance with an explosive lawsuit.
Rich Frank — who did a nine-year stint as president of Disney Studios underneath Jeffrey Katzenberg starting within the mid-Eighties, cranking out hits together with “Pretty Woman,” “The Lion King” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” — allegedly cooked up a “malicious scheme” to take over Chiarello’s thriving eating places, in accordance with the lawsuit.
Those included Bottega — a hotspot frequented by the likes of Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren, Ryan Seacrest Carrie Underwood and David Beckham, in accordance with the swimsuit filed in Napa County Superior Court on Monday.
The property of late chef Michael Chiarello is suing his minority buyers over his famed restaurant, Bottega in Napa. WireImage
Frank and hospitality entrepreneur John Hansen — who had each been minority buyers within the business — had issued a press release June 10 heralding their takeover of Bottega, calling themselves “longtime friends” of Chiarello.
But in accordance with the swimsuit — shortly after Food Network star Chiarello died unexpectedly in October 2023 at age 61 as a consequence of an allergic response — Frank, Hansen and a third investor, Peter Crowley — met at Bottega to allegedly hatch a scheme on the “expense of the plaintiffs,” which embody his surviving household.
Over dinner, the trio “finalized their plan to defraud the estate, seize assets and eliminate any association with Chef Chiarello, his estate, his family or his legacy,” the swimsuit claims.
“Given the devastating circumstances, I expected cooperation from these investors, especially considering that over the years Michael had treated them like family,” mentioned Eileen Gordon, who’s Chiarello’s widow and the mom of his youngest son.
“Yet the people he trusted took everything for themselves, depriving all other shareholders including Chef Chiarello’s children,” Gordon instructed The Post, noting their daughter was a senior in high college when her dad died.
Following Chiarello’s shock death, the swimsuit claims the defendants instantly took charge of his three eating places — the acclaimed Bottega in Napa Valley, Ottimo Yountville, the informal eating spot subsequent door to Bottega; and Coqueta, a beloved Spanish eatery on San Francisco’s Embarcadero.
Rich Frank, a former Disney exec, is one of the buyers who’s being sued for allegedly hatching a plot to grab Bottega. Getty Images for AFI
The lawsuit alleged that the defendants “falsely represented themselves” as house owners of the eating places when in actual fact they had been minority stakeholders in single-purpose entities that owned them.
According to courtroom papers, Frank allegedly held secret conferences at his home the place he directed restaurant workers to stop promoting wines from the Chiarello Family Vineyards — featured on Bottega’s menu for more than 15 years — and exchange them with wines from Frank Family Vineyards.
Frank bought his vineyard in 2021 for $315 million to Treasury Wine Estates, however his household stays concerned and his spouse Leslie was named to the board of administrators final yr, in accordance with Arnold & Porter, which suggested the household on the sale.
Gordon, who’s the property’s trustee, tried to speak with Crowley, a guide and paid advisor to 1 of the entities, about plans to guard the chef’s legacy, the swimsuit claims. But Crowley allegedly ignored Gordon and handled Frank and Hansen as an alternative.
It was all half of a “malicious plan” by the trio, who in February 2024 despatched Gordon a letter saying they might buy the eating places what the lawsuit deems a “hostile takeover.”
Chiarello died unexpectedly in 2023, sparking a struggle over his restaurant empire. Getty Images
The swimsuit claims that a essential option expired for the property to say possession of Bottega, however as a result of the paperwork was allegedly withheld by the buyers, the property had no approach of understanding. That paved the way in which for the defendants to accumulate Bottega, the swimsuit claims.
In April 2024, the defendants allegedly instructed Gordon that after the deal was executed, she and the property could be out of the business. The lawsuit likewise alleges that the buyers relied on falsified financial info to win a rock-bottom price for the property.
A legal battle ensued after Gordon allegedly refused and each side entered into arbitration, in accordance with courtroom papers. The arbiter sided with Frank and Hansen, and Bottega was bought to the pair in May 2025, together with worthwhile mental property comparable to emblems, menus, ideas, and recipes.
“The minority investors exercised their legal right to acquire Bottega from the estate in accordance with Bottega’s ownership agreement and the decision of an arbitrator,” attorneys for Frank and Hansen instructed The Post Tuesday.
The Post reached out to Crowley for remark.
The IP, nevertheless, was by no means transferred by Chiarello to the restaurant LLC ruled by the arbitration, and is rightfully Gordon’s, the swimsuit alleges. Gordon, claiming the property’s worth has been impacted over the Bottega sale and switch of the IP, and is searching for unspecified damages that might balloon due to the alleged malicious and fraudulent acts of the defendants.
“After an extraordinary career, Michael soldiered through the worst five years, from 2017 to 2021, to save his Napa Valley institutions after wildfires, COVID, and then more wildfires,” Gordon instructed The Post.
Based on his enduring popularity, the eating places had their greatest yr ever in 2023,” she added.
“Michael honored his family heritage, and we created our family trust 15 years ago to hold the business assets so they would be passed down to the next generation, not sold off in the event of his death,” Gordon mentioned.
